We use a variety of methods, including field, wet lab and greenhouse, to study biodiversity. Most of our research methods and protocols have already been published by our group or others in various papers, but we still get a substantial number of inquiries from researchers in developing nations about our protocols. So the lists below that offer updated protocols that we currently use may be of broad interest.
FIELD PROTOCOLS: (1) time-constrained butterfly counts, (2) capture-mark-recapture, (3) morphometric measurements, (4) field preservation of tissue for molecular studies.
WET LAB PROTOCOLS: (1) lab preservation of tissue for molecular genetic and developmental studies, (2) DNA extrations: Qiagen DNeasy Blood & Tissue Kit, (3) Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Sanger sequencing.
GREENHOUSE PROTOCOLS: (1) generation and maintenance of butterfly lines, (2) ethograms, time activity budgets, etc.
RESEARCH COLLECTIONS PROTOCOLS: (1) preservation of voucher samples, (2) curation and maintenance of dry samples.
MISCELLANEOUS PROTOCOLS: (1) Measuring color of butterflies.