We are surveying several genera of pseudoscorpions that are endemic to the Pacific Northwest. These tiny leaf-litter dwelling arachnids show high degrees of genetic differentiation among geographic regions, despite low levels of morphological divergence. The patterns of divergence may reflect past climatic and geological events on both fine and broad geographic scales.

Despite the increased understanding that native bees provide important pollination services, it is not known what species, or how many species, of native bees live in Portland, the largest urban center in Oregon. Since 2017 we have been surveying three main regions of Portland in order to determine what bees are present and what flowers they use. Every two weeks we have been hand-netting bees and recording the flowers they are visiting, followed by bringing the bees back to PSU’s Museum of Natural History and identifying them. Our goals are to create a list of bees present in our urban landscape, to gain an understanding of seasonality for each bee species, and to use our floral data to recommend plants that will be most effective for attracting various species of bees throughout the seasons.

Beetles are among the most diverse group of animals on earth, and the diversity of traits they possess allows them to live in different ecological niches. We have been surveying a small region within Marquam Park in Portland and discovering what species are present and the various ecological niches they occupy. The data may help inform us about past habitat connectivity in this developed urban area and the importance of maintaining or establishing habitat corridors.