About

Insects active across day and night exhibit striking sensory adaptations that allow them to navigate, forage, and communicate in vastly different light environments. In particular, nocturnal species show specialized changes in eye structure, olfactory processing, and circadian regulation to maintain performance under dim or variable illumination. In my lab, we investigate how sensory systems—especially vision, hearing, and smell—have evolved across diel niches in moths and butterflies. Using a combination of genetics, behavioral assays, and comparative neuroanatomy, we study how these systems encode ecologically relevant stimuli and support critical behaviors like flight, foraging or mate-seeking. A major focus is understanding how artificial light at night disrupts insect orientation, visual perception, and circadian activity, and evaluating strategies to mitigate its ecological impact.