Jim Smith at MSU
Research

Rhagoletis pomonella male and female on hawthorn (Crataegus mollis L.)

My research is broadly centered on insect evolution with a special emphasis on flies in the genus Rhagoletis (Diptera: Tephritidae). One of my favorite research topics within Rhagoletis is the speciation of the snowberry fly, Rhagoletis zephyria Snow, which is thought to have diverged very recently from the closely related apple maggot, R. pomonella (Walsh). I am interested in the relationships of these two species from both a theoretical and an applied perspective. In one project, my students and I are working to find ways to distinguish between trap-caught R. pomonella and R. zephryia in Michigan's fields and orchards. We are also involved in a project to detect population differences in cherry fruit fly (R. cingulata Loew) populations as a function of host use and/or orchard type.

My lab also has an interest in the invasion genetics of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire). In collaboration with Leah Bauer, Bob Haack and Therese Poland, agraduate student in the lab, Alicia Bray, is using molecular markers (DNA sequences, AFLP fingerprints, and microsatellites) to determine the geographic origin(s), presumably in Asia, of the EAB populations that are infesting Michigan's Ash trees (Fraxinus spp.).

Ongoing Research Projects in Rhagoletis

1. Determining the natural geographic distribution and host use patterns of the snowberry fly, R. zephyria Snow, in North America.

2. Using microsatellite markers to study differentiation of cherry fruit fly (R. cingulata Loew) populations in Michigan's orchards and forests.

3. AFLP analysis of the species relationships of the apple maggot (R. pomonella (Walsh)), the blueberry maggot (R. mendax Curran) and the snowberry fly (R. zephyria Snow).

4. Use of AFLPs to distinguish between trap-caught apple maggot fly, Rhagoletis pomonella, and snowberry fly, R. zephyria.

Other Projects

Invasive Species

1. Genetic analysis of Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) populations from Asia and North America.

Science Education

1. Does Working With Phylogenetic Trees Help Students Understand Biodiversity and Evolution?

2. Redevelopment and Assessment of Interactive Online Resources to Enhance Evolution Education.

In Review

Kim J, Smith JJ, Tian L, DellePenna D. in review. The evolution and function of carotenoid hydroxylases in Arabidopsis.

Published

Smith JJ. (2008). [Review of] Steve Nash, Millipedes and Moon Tigers: Science and Policy in an Age of Extinction. Organization and Environment 21: 94-96.

Jacobs JL, Fasi AC, Ramette A, Smith JJ, Hammerschmidt RH, Sundin GW. 2008. Identification and onion pathogenicity of Burkholderi cepacia complex isolates from the onion rhizosphere and onion field soil. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 74: 3121-3129.

Gavrilovic V, Bush GL, Schwarz D, Crossno JE, Smith JJ. 2007. Rhagoletis zephyria (Diptera: Tephritidae) in the Great Lakes basin: A native insect on native hosts? Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 100(4): 474-482.

Humpula JF, Ostrom PH, Gandhi H, John R. Strahler JR, Walker AK, Stafford TW, Smith JJ, Voorhies MR, Corner RG, Andrews PC (2007)  Investigation of the protein osteocalcin of Camelops hesternus: sequence, structure and phylogenetic implications Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta. 71: 5956 - 5967.

Ma Z, Smith JJ, Zhao Y, Jackson RW, Arnold DL, Murillo J, Sundin GW. 2007. Phylogenetic Analysis of the pPT23A Plasmid Family of Pseudomonas syringae. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 73(4): 1287-1295.

Smith JJ. 2006. [Review of] Alan Burdick, Out of Eden: An Odyssey of Ecological Invasion. Organization and Environment 19: 423-425.

Smith JJ, Jaycox MA, Smith M, Bush GL. 2005/6. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA and morphological characters in the subtribe Carpomyina (Diptera: Tephritidae). In: Biotaxonomy of Tephritoidea, Israel Journal of Entomology, 35-36: 317-340.

Houghton-Thompson J, Prince HH, Smith JJ, Hancock JF. 2005. Evidence of hybridization between Lythrum salicaria (Purple Loosestrife) and L. alatum (winged loosestrife) in North America. Annals of Botany 96: 877-885.

McGroarty E, Parker J, Heidemann M, Lim H, Olson M, Long T, Merrill J, Riffell S, Smith J, Batzli J, Kirschtel D. 2004. Supplementing Introductory Biology with on-line curriculum, Biochemical and Molecular Biology Education 32: 20-26.

Feder JL, Berlocher SH, Roethele JB, Dambroski H, Smith JJ, Perry WL, Gavrilovic V, Filchak KE, Rull J, Aluja M. 2003. Allopatric genetic origins for sympatric host-plant shifts and race formation in Rhagoletis.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 100: 10314-10319.

Maxson-Stein K, McGhee GC, Smith JJ, Jones AL, Sundin GW. 2003. Genetic analysis of a pathogenic Erwinia sp. isolated from pear in Japan. Phytopathology 93: 1393-1399.

Smith JJ, Heidemann MK, Parker JM. 2003. Experiences in the creation and use of online learning guides for Introductory Biology, International Journal of Learning (Proceedings of The Learning Conference, London, UK, July 2003) 10: 1589-1603.

Smith JJ, Gavrilovic V, Smitley DR. 2001. Native Vaccinium spp. infested by Rhagoletis mendax (Blueberry maggot; Diptera: Tephritidae) in the Great Lakes region: a potential source of inoculum for infestation of cultivated blueberries. Journal of Economic Entomology, 94: 1378-1385.

Smith JJ, Bush GL. 1999. Phylogeny of Carpomyina, emphasizing relationships of the genus Rhagoletis. pp. 187-217 in: A. Norrbom & M. Aluja (eds.), Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae): Phylogeny and Evolution of Behavior , CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.

Balardin RS, Smith JJ, Kelly JD. 1999. Ribosomal DNA polymorphism in Colletotrichum lindemuthianum. Mycological Research 103: 841-848.

Bush GL, Smith JJ. 1998. The genetics and ecology of sympatric speciation: a case study. Researches on Population Ecology 40: 175-187.

Smith JJ, Bush GL. 1997. Phylogeny of the genus Rhagoletis (Diptera: Tephritidae) inferred from DNA sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase II. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 7: 33-43.

Bush GL, Smith JJ. 1997. The sympatric origins of phytophagous insects. in: K Dettner, G Bauer & W Volkl (eds.), Vertical Food Web Interactions: Evolutionary Patterns and Driving Forces. Ecological Studies, Vol. 130, pp. 3-19, Springer Verlag, Heidelberg.