Feb. 2025 Update: We received many applications for the butterfly ecology grad student positions. Thank you for applying. Unfortunately we could only contact a few applicants for interviews. The positions are now closed. We are awaiting the results of another butterfly grant and may have one more opening in spring 2025. This space will be updated if more funding becomes available. The original ad is here
Research Focus: We use field and laboratory studies and biodiversity collections to investigate the responses of insects and plankton to climate and habitat change. Our work is grounded in ecological and evolutionary theory and has applications to conservation biology, healthy ecosystems, and urban biodiversity.
Active Research Areas
Current Members
Michelle Tseng: PI, Departments of Botany and Zoology; Biodiversity Research Centre;
Sean Chung: Biology honours - Competition in urban aquatic invertebrates
Wendy Frankel: Biology Honours - Effect of cardenolides and temperature on monarch colouration (collaboration with Micah Freedman)
Devlin Grewal: MSc student (Botany) - Urban trees & the biodiversity they support
Katie Gyte: MSc student (Botany) - Effect of heat waves on algal lipid production
Natasha Klasios: PhD candidate (Zoology) - Ecology of microplastics
Julie Sieg: Undergraduate Research Assistant - Machine learning models for butterfly-plant associations; Monarch conservation
Markus Thormeyer: PhD candidate (Zoology) - Urban mosquito ecology and evolution
Team bug undergrads: Juliana Dioquino, Natalie Garratt, Casey Lo - Insect degradation of textile waste
Team butterfly undergrads: Johanna MacEachen, Ashleigh Wood, Grace Young - Butterfly AI model training
Teaching
BIOL230 - Fundamentals of Ecology (2024-25 spring term)
BIOL411/APBI427 - Insect Ecology (not offered in 2024-2025)
BOTA501 - Seminar in Botany (2024-2025)
BIOL548M - Fundamentals of Population Ecology (2024-2025; Graduate Module)
Select publications (Google Scholar Profile) Please email if you would like a pdf
Raghuraman, S and M. Tseng. 2025. Plant diversity and origin do not predict the abundance and diversity of syrphid flies. In press
Gicole, S., A. Dimitriou, N. Klasios, and M. Tseng. 2024. Partial consumption of medical face masks by a common beetle species. Biol. Lett. 20: 20240380 pdf
Klasios, N. A. Birch, A.M. Murillo, and M. Tseng. 2024. Warming temperatures exacerbate the effects of microplastics on a widespread zooplankton species. Env. Poll. 349:123918.
Kim, J.O, A. Dimitriou, I. Forster, and M. Tseng. 2024. Heatwave-mediated decreases in phytoplankton quality negatively affect zooplankton productivity. Func. Ecol. 34(8): 778-791
Klasios, N, J.O. Kim, and M. Tseng. 2024. No effect of realistic concentrations of polyester microplastic fibers on freshwater zooplankton communities. Env. Tox. and Chem. 43(2): 418-428.
Ogushi, Sun, BIOL411/ABPI427 and M. Tseng. 2024 Lepidoptera species richness and community composition in urban street trees. CJZ 102:6 pdf
Klasios, N. and M. Tseng. 2023. Microplastics in subsurface water and zooplankton from eight lakes in British Columbia. CJFAS Link pdf
Thormeyer, M. and M. Tseng. 2023. No effect of realistic microplastic exposure on growth and development of wild-caught Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes. J. Med Entomol Link pdf
Tseng, M and 27 coauthors. 2022. Effects of temperature on monarch caterpillar colour variation in nature. Insect Con. and Div. 16(1):164. pdf
Büyükyilmaz, E. and M. Tseng. 2022. Developmental temperature predicts body size, flight, and pollen load in a widespread butterfly. Ecol. Entol 47:872-882 pdf;
Tseng, M. et al. 2021 Cascading effects of warming in a freshwater community. Func. Ecol. 35(4): 920.
Tseng, M., et al. 2018. Decreases in beetle body size linked to climate change and warming temperatures. J. Anim. Ecol 87(3):647
Land Acknowledgement
The UBC Vancouver campus is situated within the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam). We recognize and value the thousands of years of Indigenous land and biodiversity stewardship. We conduct our research with an open and respectful mind and understand that western approaches to biodiversity science are one approach of many used to understand the natural world around us.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Certain governments are attacking EDI/DEI. I (Michelle) encourage you to do your own research into the global benefits of equitable and inclusive policies. It's not just about race, although deliberatly ignoring historic and ongoing systemic racism shows that you like to cherry-pick your data. Hate, bigotry, discrimination, and racism of any kind are not tolerated in the lab. As UBC students and researchers, we have considerable privilege and we strive for a thriving, inclusive, diverse, and productive lab group.
Funders (Past & Present)
NSERC, Environment & Climate Change Canada, Canada Foundation for Innovation, UBC Faculty of Science, UBC Campus as a Living Lab, Wall Legacy Awards, lululemon
Lab alumni
Grad students: Sophia Fan (2024), Jihyun Kim (2022), Carla Di Filippo (2020)
Biology Honours: Savi Raghuraman (2023), Erez Büyükyilmaz (2022), Kephra Becket (2018)
Research Focus: We use field and laboratory studies and biodiversity collections to investigate the responses of insects and plankton to climate and habitat change. Our work is grounded in ecological and evolutionary theory and has applications to conservation biology, healthy ecosystems, and urban biodiversity.
Active Research Areas
- Combining community science and computer vision to inform butterfly ecology and conservation across Canada
- Characterizing the effects of warming temperatures on nutrient availability in freshwater ecosystems
- Understanding the ecological, evolutionary, and immunological effects of microplastics
- Quantifying the effects of non-native plants on insect abundance and diversity Campus trees project
- Predicting the effect of urban stressors on species interactions
- Synthetic textile degradation by insects
- Ecology and conservation of Monarch butterflies
Current Members
Michelle Tseng: PI, Departments of Botany and Zoology; Biodiversity Research Centre;
Sean Chung: Biology honours - Competition in urban aquatic invertebrates
Wendy Frankel: Biology Honours - Effect of cardenolides and temperature on monarch colouration (collaboration with Micah Freedman)
Devlin Grewal: MSc student (Botany) - Urban trees & the biodiversity they support
Katie Gyte: MSc student (Botany) - Effect of heat waves on algal lipid production
Natasha Klasios: PhD candidate (Zoology) - Ecology of microplastics
Julie Sieg: Undergraduate Research Assistant - Machine learning models for butterfly-plant associations; Monarch conservation
Markus Thormeyer: PhD candidate (Zoology) - Urban mosquito ecology and evolution
Team bug undergrads: Juliana Dioquino, Natalie Garratt, Casey Lo - Insect degradation of textile waste
Team butterfly undergrads: Johanna MacEachen, Ashleigh Wood, Grace Young - Butterfly AI model training
Teaching
BIOL230 - Fundamentals of Ecology (2024-25 spring term)
BIOL411/APBI427 - Insect Ecology (not offered in 2024-2025)
BOTA501 - Seminar in Botany (2024-2025)
BIOL548M - Fundamentals of Population Ecology (2024-2025; Graduate Module)
Select publications (Google Scholar Profile) Please email if you would like a pdf
Raghuraman, S and M. Tseng. 2025. Plant diversity and origin do not predict the abundance and diversity of syrphid flies. In press
Gicole, S., A. Dimitriou, N. Klasios, and M. Tseng. 2024. Partial consumption of medical face masks by a common beetle species. Biol. Lett. 20: 20240380 pdf
Klasios, N. A. Birch, A.M. Murillo, and M. Tseng. 2024. Warming temperatures exacerbate the effects of microplastics on a widespread zooplankton species. Env. Poll. 349:123918.
Kim, J.O, A. Dimitriou, I. Forster, and M. Tseng. 2024. Heatwave-mediated decreases in phytoplankton quality negatively affect zooplankton productivity. Func. Ecol. 34(8): 778-791
Klasios, N, J.O. Kim, and M. Tseng. 2024. No effect of realistic concentrations of polyester microplastic fibers on freshwater zooplankton communities. Env. Tox. and Chem. 43(2): 418-428.
Ogushi, Sun, BIOL411/ABPI427 and M. Tseng. 2024 Lepidoptera species richness and community composition in urban street trees. CJZ 102:6 pdf
Klasios, N. and M. Tseng. 2023. Microplastics in subsurface water and zooplankton from eight lakes in British Columbia. CJFAS Link pdf
Thormeyer, M. and M. Tseng. 2023. No effect of realistic microplastic exposure on growth and development of wild-caught Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes. J. Med Entomol Link pdf
Tseng, M and 27 coauthors. 2022. Effects of temperature on monarch caterpillar colour variation in nature. Insect Con. and Div. 16(1):164. pdf
Büyükyilmaz, E. and M. Tseng. 2022. Developmental temperature predicts body size, flight, and pollen load in a widespread butterfly. Ecol. Entol 47:872-882 pdf;
Tseng, M. et al. 2021 Cascading effects of warming in a freshwater community. Func. Ecol. 35(4): 920.
Tseng, M., et al. 2018. Decreases in beetle body size linked to climate change and warming temperatures. J. Anim. Ecol 87(3):647
Land Acknowledgement
The UBC Vancouver campus is situated within the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam). We recognize and value the thousands of years of Indigenous land and biodiversity stewardship. We conduct our research with an open and respectful mind and understand that western approaches to biodiversity science are one approach of many used to understand the natural world around us.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Certain governments are attacking EDI/DEI. I (Michelle) encourage you to do your own research into the global benefits of equitable and inclusive policies. It's not just about race, although deliberatly ignoring historic and ongoing systemic racism shows that you like to cherry-pick your data. Hate, bigotry, discrimination, and racism of any kind are not tolerated in the lab. As UBC students and researchers, we have considerable privilege and we strive for a thriving, inclusive, diverse, and productive lab group.
Funders (Past & Present)
NSERC, Environment & Climate Change Canada, Canada Foundation for Innovation, UBC Faculty of Science, UBC Campus as a Living Lab, Wall Legacy Awards, lululemon
Lab alumni
Grad students: Sophia Fan (2024), Jihyun Kim (2022), Carla Di Filippo (2020)
Biology Honours: Savi Raghuraman (2023), Erez Büyükyilmaz (2022), Kephra Becket (2018)