The Physiological Mechanisms and Evolutionary History of Diapause Strategies in Butterflies

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC | Emily Mikucki's '13 research aims to understand the physiological consequences of winter warming on diapausing (overwintering) butterflies.

In the context of climate change, shifts in seasonality and increased frequency of temperature anomalies will expose organisms to unpredictable thermal environments to which they are not adapted. These anomalies are likely to have adverse effects on the physiology of overwintering individuals. My research aims to understand the physiological consequences of winter warming on diapausing (overwintering) butterflies.

Emily graduated from Bennington College in 2013 with a Plan concentration in Biology and Spanish. She has been researching butterflies for the better part of the last decade, travelling throughout the US and Latin America to observe these amazingly diverse organisms. She is currently a 2nd year PhD student at the University of Vermont studying the ecological physiology of overwintering strategies in butterflies with Dr. Brent Lockwood and Dr. Alison Brody.