Partners in Crime: Blood feeding ectoparasites and their dependence on bacterial symbionts

Bedbug photo by Matt Bertone

TODAY in the SECU Daily Planet Theater, we will learn about blood feeding arthropods and their unique relationship with symbiotic microbes. Elizabeth Wiles, PhD student at NC State University, will provide an overview of blood feeding in arthropods, discuss strategies that different groups of insects have evolved to use blood as a food source, and dive into a specific host-microbe association found in bed bugs.

Elizabeth Wiles is an Entomology PhD student in the Schal Lab at North Carolina State University. She studies the unique relationship that bed bugs have with a bacterial symbiont, Wolbachia. She is interested in better understanding the biology of blood feeding arthropods and how they have evolved to use blood as a food source.

Go inside the globe of the SECU Daily Planet Theater for live presentations and interactive shows led by scientists and educators. Meet researchers, witness live demonstrations, and engage in Q&A sessions with experts. With ever-changing topics and guests, there’s always something new and exciting to learn.