Research
I am broadly interested in Biodiversity, Ecology, Evolution, and Natural History and am especially interested in where, when, and why species are where they are.
PhD research
My PhD research investigates the usefulness of diverse species occurrence datasets, how they differ, and how they can be used together to improve our understanding of species distributions. My research compares and contrasts data from the community science data (iNaturalist) with traditional species occurrence datasets (natural history collections, governmental invasive species monitoring) to understand how their integration may improve conservation prioritization. Overall, my work will improve our ability to balance the value and limitations of community science data. Understanding how these data can be mobilized for biodiversity assessment will improve our ability to react to biodiversity changes and prescribe conservation initiatives where and when they matter the most.
MSc research
My MSc research investigated the eco-evolutionary drivers of parasitoid host range for two adventive parasitoids (Hym.: Figitidae) proposed for the biological control of the agricultural pest Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae). My work focused on identifying the diversity of drosophilids that may be exposed to the parasitoids, testing and quantifying the fundamental and ecological host ranges of the parasitoids, and investigating the differences in ovipositor morphology between the parasitoids. I found that one parasitoid had a broad host range, making it an inappropriate biological control agent. I also found that the parasitoid with the broader host range had a significantly longer ovipositor than the more host specific parasitoid which presents a possible mechanism for niche-partitioning among the two apparent competitors.
BSc research
I conducted two independent research projects during my BSc.
In my Honours, I used molecular methods to identify the diversity and distribution of the parasitoid genus Eurytoma (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae) reared from Diplolepis variabilis (Hymenoptera: Diplolepididae) galls in the Okanagan valley, British Columbia. I found that the diversity of Eurytoma was higher in the north than in the south. I also found that the extended emergence of Okanagan Eurytoma was driven by one parthenogenic species that emerged after all other species had completed their emergence, perhaps due to a host shift from gall inducer to inquiline (Earley et al 2023).
In my directed studies research, I ran camera traps in green spaces on the UBC-Okanagan campus and recorded the temporal behaviour of vertebrates. I found that Coyote and Mule Deer records increased on campus at night from Sunday to Wednesday but did not increase at night from Thursday to Saturday.
Publications
Refereed publications
Mancera Barreto, A.M., Nelson, T.D., Earley, N.G., Marshall, V., Cock, C.L., Lalonde, R.G., Moffat, C.E., Ensing, D.J. (accepted). Phenology and life history of two reunited weevil biocontrol agents (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Manuscript accepted by Canadian Entomologist (June 2025).
Earley, N.G. (in press). Andricus quercuscalifornicus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), a new species for Canada discovered through community science. Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia. 122: eXXXXX.
Ellis, L.T., Alvarez, J.D., Bacilliere, G., Bindernagel, J.R.D., Czernyadjeva, I.V., de Beer, D., Draper, I., Earley, N.G. … Tucker, D.B.L., Uotila ,P., Vineesha, P.M., Wang, P., Wilding, N., Zander, R.H., Zheng, T.-X. (2025). New national and regional bryophyte records, 80. Journal of Bryology. March 2025: 1–15. doi: 10.1080/03736687.2025.2466983.
Earley, N.G. (2024). First record in British Columbia for the dandelion gall wasp, Phanacis taraxaci (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae, Phanacidini). Specimen. 31. doi: 10.56222/28166531.2024.31.
Earley, N.G., Akoluk, J., Earley, C.G. (2024). Rocks dropped by a Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) for eyrie defense. Journal of Raptor Research. 58(3): 372–373. doi: 10.3356/jrr2385.
Nelson, T.D., Earley, N.G., Marshall, V., Mancera Barreto, A.M., Cock, C.L., Williams, H.E., Ensing, D.J., Bouchard, P., Moffat, C.E. (2023). Biocontrol agents cross borders: First detection of the broad-nosed knapweed seed head weevil, Bangasternus fausti (Reitter) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in Canada. Coleopterists’ Bulletin. 77(4): 639-647. doi:10.1649/0010-065X-77.4.639.
Earley, N.G., Abram, P.K., Lalonde, R.G., Moffat, C.E. (2023). Ovipositor characteristics differ between parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Figtidae) of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in an adventive landscape. Journal of Hymenoptera Research. 95: 13-30. doi:10.3897/jhr.95.89678.
Earley, N.G., Bannerman, J.A., Lalonde, R.G. (2023). Species composition of the parasitoid genus Eurytoma (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae) varies at a local scale in the Okanagan Diplolepis variabilis (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) gall system. Canadian Entomologist. 155: e18. doi:10.4039/tce.2023.3.
Earley, N.G., Walker, I.R., Woods, J.G. (2022). Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) drake observed consuming an adult Western Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma mavortium). Canadian Field-Naturalist. 136(2): 153-155. doi:10.22621/cfn.v136i2.2911.
MacEwan, J.M., Earley, N.G., Lalonde, R.G. (2020). How much does the host matter to the parasitoid? Distribution of Eurytoma (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) species among two locally co-occurring gall-inducing hosts in the genus Diplolepis (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae). Canadian Entomologist. 152(6): 815-822. doi:10.4039/tce.2020.55.
Non-refereed publications
Earley, C.G., Lohr, R., Lohr, C., Earley, N.G. (2013). Dragonflies: Catching, identifying, how and where they live. Firefly Books. Buffalo, NY.