Emma Wahlberg

Postdoc

Contact

E-mail: emma.wahlberg@nrm.se

Billing and Mailing Address:

See the Staff and Contacts page.

Education

B.Sc., Stockholm University, 2012.

M.Sc., Stockholm University, 2014.

PhD., Stockholm University, 2020

Research Interests

Thrips, with the scientific name Thysanoptera, are small insects with a maximum size of 5 millimeters. The least known group in Sweden is the family Phlaeothripidae. The modest size and the secretive lifestyle in, among other things, soil, leaf litter and dead wood can be some of the reasons why few taxonomic studies have been done of the family. We currently lack a lot of information about the distribution and species richness in Sweden. With the help of new methods for collection and DNA technology the goal is to contribute to increasing knowledge. Sequencing of DNA from a large number of species will increase the number of available genetic barcodes, contributing to increased molecular-based research. Sequencing of the mitochondrial genome will contribute to better and more specific markers for so-called metabarcoding (studies of DNA fragments in e.g. soil and water). National species lists of species will be updated and collected material will be used for new identification keys and tools based on morphological characters, which can increase the accessibility for both research and environmental work. Tools for both morphological and genetic identification and analyzes of species and species groups are necessary to increase knowledge and are also valuable for future environmental research and local inventories. The project is funded by
The Swedish Taxonomy Initiative.