Associate Professor
and Associate Director,
Blandy Experimental Farm;
Ph.D., Auburn
University, 1999.
RESEARCH AREA
Plant-pollinator
interactions;
evolutionary ecology;
habitat fragmentation;
bee biology.
CONTACT:
T’ai H. Roulston
Blandy Experimental Farm
University of Virginia
400 Blandy Farm Lane
Boyce, VA 22620
540 837-1758 ext. 276 tai.roulston@virginia.edu
T'ai
H. Roulston
Blandy Experimental Farm
Department of Environmental
Sciences
University of Virginia
My primary research area is plant-pollinator interactions,
which I study through field and laboratory approaches. These include
(i) Studies of pollen chemistry, particularly
protein, to characterize the diversity of pollen nutrient rewards and
their effects on pollinator host plant choice and larval development;
(ii) Specialization/Generalization
in plant-pollinator interactions
Other research areas include endangered species conservation, habitat
fragmentation, foraging behavior and nestmate recognition in social
Hymenoptera, and the impact of exotic species on native organisms.
Current or recent student research in my
lab.
Go to the Blandy Bee
Diversity Page
Current Grants
Roulston, T.H., Minckley, R.L. and N. Williams. 2004-2008. "Collaborative research: the contribution of specialist pollinators to generalist plants: when do specialists matter?" NSF Ecology Program, $163, 696. Award No. DEB-0418851
Roulston, T.H., and M. Mckenna. 2008-2012. REU Site: Field Ecology at the University of Virginia's Blandy Experimental Farm. $334,188. NSF Award No. DBI 0755198
Large sweat bee (Lasioglossum zephyrym) reared on protein rich pollen, small bee reared on protein poor pollen
Specialist bee (Colletes latitarsis) collecting pollen from its host, Physalis subglabrata.
Epeolus bifasciatus, a common cleptoparasite of Colletes latitarsis Bee is being held for marking.
Female of Eucera hamata, a common spring bee at Blandy.