Tamara J. Cook Associate Professor Ph.D., Texas A&M University Office: LDB 105B Phone: (936) 294-1557 Fax: (936) 294-3940 Website: http://www.shsu.edu/~bio_tjc E-mail: tcook@shsu.edu

Research Interest

My lab is currently focusing on taxonomic survey of eugregarine parasites of insects and includes problems of host-parasite relationships, eugregarine population and community structure, and host specificity. Our primary field sites are in the Big Thicket of East Texas, although we include other sites (such as Belize and west Texas) when time and money permit. Our projects primarily use field survey and morphometric analysis to identify taxic diversity and host range and to investigate patterns of eugregarine infection across space and time

Current Projects

Current Eugregarine Projects: With two colleagues, I have initiated a survey of eugregarines parasitizing aquatic insects in the Texas Big Thicket. Projects focus on using field survey and reciprocal cross infection studies to identify taxic diversity and host range. I am also investigating oocyst development and longevity of eugregarines parasitizing domiciliary cockroaches.

But why the Big Thicket? Around 150 years ago, the Big Thicket of East Texas covered an area of approximately 3.5 million acres. Today, there are about 35,000 protected acres with another small portion still intact, but privately owned. The reasons for the change in size are a combination of the discovery of oil, timber harvest, agriculture and urbanization. From the standpoint of aquatic habitats, the conserved areas do not contain the entire watershed of any of the drainage basins in the original Big Thicket region. Therefore, the aquatic habitats in the protected areas can be potentially damaged from activities outside the protected areas' borders.

Current Microsporidia Projects: To date, my research efforts have concentrated on determining the distribution of fire ant microsporidia in Texas and investigating the natural ecology of microsporidian infection in imported fire ants, with the ultimate goal of utilizing microsporidia in the management of imported fire ants.

Recent Selected Publications

Lowery, M. B. and T. J. Cook. 2008. Oviposition site preference of Corydalus cornutus (Megaloptera: Corydalidae) in east Texas. Southwestern Naturalist 53: in press

Clopton, R. E., T. J. Cook, and J. L. Cook. 2008. Trichurispora wellgundis n. g., n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida: Hirmocystidae) Parasitizing Adult Water Scavenger Beetles, Tropisternus collaris (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) in the Texas Big Thicket. Comparative Parasitology 75: 82-91.

Realzola, E., J. L. Cook, T. J. Cook, and R. E. Clopton. 2007. Composition of Gyrinid Aggregations in the East Texas Primitive Big Thicket (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae). Coleopterist's Bulletin 61:495-592.

Clopton, R. E., T. J. Cook and J. L. Cook. 2007. Revision of Geneiorhynchus Schneider, 1875 with Recognition of 4 New Species of Geneiorhynchus and Description of Geneiorhynchus manifestus N. Sp. Parasitizing Naiads of the Green Darner, Anax junius in the Texas Big Thicket. Comparative Parasitology, 74:273-285.

Hays, J. J., R. E. Clopton, T. J. Cook and J. L. Cook. 2007. Revision of the Genus Nubenocephalus and Description of Nubenocephalus secundus N. Sp. (Apicomplexa: Actinocephalidae) Parasitizing Adults of Argia sedula (Odonata: Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae) in the Primitive Texas Big Thicket, U.S.A. Comparative Parasitology 74: 286-293.

Smith, A. J. and T. J. Cook, and W. I. Lutterschmidt. 2007. Effects Of Temperature On The Development Of Gregarina Cubensis(Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida) Parasitizing Blaberus Discoidalis (Blattaria: Blaberidae). Journal of Parasitology 93: 583-588.