Michael Caballero

Entrou: 29 de jan. de 2019 Última vez ativo: 27 de mar. de 2024 iNaturalist

I am the lead technician/project manager for the Texas Pollinator Restoration Project at UT Austin and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. In this project I work with federal, state, and private entities in order test TWPD recommendations for pollinator restoration practices.

In my day to day, I work with the four primary pollinator orders, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and Diptera. We have collected well over 400 different species of pollinators or flower visitors over the course of the project giving us a big challenge to identify all of the species. I am tasked to prepare and identify most of the specimens if we do not have someone with taxonomic expertise to consult.

In my free time I also keep a personal insect collection. I am most interested in Coleoptera specifically Scarabaeoidea. I am working on some general research on Lucanidae and Scarabaeidae with an emphasis on Dynastinae within Texas; however, I enjoy collecting a much wider range of insect groups. These other groups consist of Hymenoptera, Megaloptera, Neuroptera, and Lepidoptera.

While insects are my favorite organisms, I enjoy getting outside to discover all sorts of flora and fauna!

Research Interests:
Insect Ecology
Restoration Ecology
Pollinator Ecology
Insect Taxonomy and Systematics
Natural History
Insect Behavior

Edcuation:
Oklahoma State University 2018: B.S. Entomology - Insect Biology and Ecology.
Oklahoma State University 2020: M.S. Entomology and Plant Pathology.

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