Greg Spicer

My research program centers on the use of DNA sequence data for inferring the evolutionary history among organisms. My primary research focus is on the cospeciation and coevolution of parasitic mites and their bird hosts. As part of this project my lab is particularly interested in passerine bird phylogeny. Consequently, the lab has been sequencing a number of nuclear and mitochondrial genes in a variety of parasitic mite and bird taxa. Other systematic projects in my lab include the molecular phylogeny of Drosophila, dragonflies and damselflies, land snails, centipedes, scorpions, spiders, and small mammals (chipmunks and ground squirrels).

• Van Dam, M., Esposito, L, Trautwein, Spicer, G. S. and Esposito, L.  2018.  Advancing mite phylogenomics: Designing ultraconserved elements of acari phylogeny. Molecular Ecology, In press.
• Mascarenhas, C. S., Bassini-Silva, R., Fernando de Castro Jacinaviciu, R., Pereira, J. S., and Spicer, G. S. 2018. Family RHINONYSSIDAE Trouessart, 1895. Book Chapter, Mites of Brazil. In press.
• Sheehan, K. L., Spicer, G. S., OConnor, B. M., and Hechinger, R. F. 2017. No one saw this coming: endoparasitic mites behind the eyes of a Double-crested Cormorant. Journal of Parasitology, 103(3):295-297.
• Skoracki, M., Spicer, G. S., and OConnor, B. M. 2016. A systematic review of the subfamily Syringophilinae (Acari: Syringophilidae) of the Nearctic region. Part 1: quill mites associated with passerines (Aves: Passeriformes). Zootaxa 4084(4): 451-494.
• Skoracki, M., Sikora, B., and Spicer, G. S. 2016. A review of the subfamily Picobiinae Johnston and Kethley, 1973 (Acariformes: Prostigmata: Syringophilidae). Zootaxa 4113(1): 1-95.
• Lauron, E. J., Loiseau, C., Bowie, R. Spicer, G. S., Smith, T. B., Melo, M. and Sehgal, R. N. 2015. Coevolutionary patterns and diversification of avian malaria parasites in African sunbirds (Family Nectariniidae) Parasitology 142(5): 635-647.
• Walden, G. K., Garrison, L. M., Spicer, G. S., Cipriano F. W., and Patterson, R. 2014. Phylogenies and chromosome evolution of Phacelia (Boraginaceae: Hydrophylloideae) inferred from nuclear ribosomal and chloroplast sequence data. Madroño 61: 16-47.
• Skoracki, M., Spicer, G. S., OConnor, B. M. 2014. A review of the mites of the subfamily Picobiinae Johnston & Kethley, 1973 (Prostigmata: Syringophilidae) from North American birds. Systematic Parasitology 87: 99-110.
• Hendricks, S. A., Flannery, M. E., and Spicer, G. S. 2013. Cophylogeny of quill mites from the genus Syringophilopsis (Acari: Syringophilidae) and their North American passerine hosts. Journal of Parasitology 99: 827-834.
• Dimov, I. D. and Spicer, G. S. 2013. A new species of nasal mite of the genus Rhinonyssus (Mesostigmata: Rhinonyssidae) from Leningrad Province, Russia. Systematic & Applied Acarology 18: 291-296.
• Bochkov, A. V, Skoracki, M., Hendricks, S. A. and Spicer, G. S. 2011. Further investigations of the mite genus Syringophiloidus (Acariformes: Syringophilidae) from North American Passerines. Systematic Parasitology 79: 201-211.
• Skoracki, M., Hendricks, S. A., and Spicer, G. S. 2010. New species of the parasitic quill mites of the genus Picobia Haller (Acari: Syringophilidae: Picobiinae) from North American birds. Journal of Medical Entomology 47: 727-742.
• van der Linde, K., Houle, D., Spicer, G. S. and Steppan, S. J. 2010. A supermatrix-based molecular phylogeny of the family Drosophilidae. Genetical Research 92: 25-38.
• Skoracki, M., Hendricks, S. A., and Spicer, G. S. 2010. Four new species of Aulonastus Kethley, 1970 (Acari: Syringophilidae) from North American passerines. Systematic Parasitology 76: 131-144.
• Skoracki, M., Hendricks, S. A., and Spicer, G. S. 2010. On systematics of the ectoparasitic quill mites of the genus Aulobia Kethley, 1970 (Acari: Syringophilidae) with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 2399: 31-41.
• Hansen, D. R., Spicer, G. S., and Patterson, R. 2009. Phylogenetic Relationships between and within Phacelia Sections Whitlavia and Gymnobythus (Boraginaceae). Systematic Botany 34: 737-746.
• Bochkov, A. V., Flannery, M. E. and Spicer, G. S. 2009. Mites of the Genus Torotrogla (Prostigmata: Syringophilidae) from North American passerines. Journal of Medical Entomology 46: 183-197.
• Skoracki, M., Flannery, M. E. and Spicer, G. S. 2009. New data on systematics of the quill mites of the genus Syringophiloidus Kethley, 1970 (Acari: Syringophilidae) from North American birds. Acta Parasitologica 54: 64-72.
• Skoracki, M., Flannery, M. E. and Spicer, G. S. 2008. Quill mites of the genus Syringophilopsis Kethley, 1970 (Acari: Syringophilidae) from North American birds. Folia Parasitologica 55: 291-300.
• Whalen, M., Richter, T., Zakhareyvich, K., Yoshikawa, M., Al-Azzeh, D., Adefioye, A., Spicer, G. S., Mendoza, L. L, Morales C. Q., Klassen, V., Young, B., Perez-Baron, G., Toebe, C. S, Tzovolous, A., Gerstman, E., Evans, E., Thompson, C., Lopez, M., Young, G., and Ronald, P. C. 2008. Identification of a host 14-3-3 Protein that Interacts with Xanthomonas effector AvrRxv. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology 72: 46-55.
• Morelli, M. and Spicer, G. S. 2007. Cospeciation between the nasal mite Ptilonyssus sairae (Acari: Rhinonyssidae) and its bird hosts. Systematic & Applied Acarology 12: 179-188.
• van der Linde, K., Bächli, G., Toda, M. J., Zhang, W., Katoh, T., Hu Y., and Spicer, G. S. 2007. Drosophila Fallén, 1823 (Insecta, Diptera): proposed conservation of usage. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 64: 238-242.
• Wood, H. M., Griswold, C. E., and Spicer, G. S. 2007. Phylogenetic relationships within an endemic group of Malagasy 'Assassin Spiders' (Araneae, Archaeidae): ancestral character reconstruction, convergent evolution and biogeography. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 45: 612-619.