Kayla I. Perry, Ph.D. – Lab Director
Dr. Kayla I. Perry is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Entomology at the Ohio State University and is based at the Wooster campus. Her research program aims to understand how disturbances influence the structure and function of insect communities in natural and urban forests. The Perry Lab investigates natural disturbances such as native insects and windstorms which are integral components of forest ecosystems, as well as human-induced disturbances such as exotic species, habitat degradation, and climate change that impact forest health and management. She is a State Extension Specialist in Forest Entomology and works with a variety of stakeholder groups interested in forest insect ecology and management. Kayla’s taxonomic expertise includes ground‐ and soil‐dwelling arthropod communities, particularly ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Her teaching responsibilities include insect ecology, entomological techniques and data analysis, and the nature and practice of science. Kayla also occasionally hosts a ground beetle identification and ecology workshop. Kayla received her Ph.D. in Entomology from the Ohio State University in December 2016.
Senior Research Technician
Diane Hartzler, B.S.
After 27 years of OARDC lab experience and 5 years of retirement, Diane has returned to set up the new Forest Entomology Lab under the direction of Kayla Perry, PhD. As a previous lab manager and years of field data collection in SE Michigan on the OSU Emerald Ash Borer Project, she has managed the travel logistics, coordinated projects, and provided assistance to graduate students, visiting scholars, USFS, USDA, ODNR, lab personnel and out of state colleagues. She has worked on EAB and invasive pest chemical trials remotely and on the Wooster campus.
Researcher 1 – Arthropod Diagnostician
Suranga Basnagala
M.Phil. Insect Taxonomy
My background is Insect Taxonomy. I collected Mirid species (Heteroptera: Miridae), commonly known as ‘Plant bugs’ in a funded NSF project in Sri Lanka and completed my Masters’s degree, revising one of the subfamilies of Miridae, Bryocorinae. During the four years of the project, Mirids were collected in all the ecological regions in Sri Lanka, ID, and made illustrations for a pictorial guide.
While I am working as an Arthropod Diagnostician for the Department of Entomology, I have been working on the identification of North American Carabids in Perry Lab. It’s amazing how versatile the Carabids are with more than 40,000+ described species in 2162 genera worldwide. Well…I am enjoying ID work every minute, one ‘specimen’ at a time.😊. I also involved in 3D designing and printing for the department.
Graduate Students
Aaron Tayal
MSc. Student
I graduated from The Ohio State University in 2021 with a mathematics major and evolution and ecology minor. My undergraduate research focused on the invasive plant lesser celandine (Ficaria verna). My interest in entomology was motivated by internships working at vegetable farms in Ohio and Indiana. In Perry Lab I am studying the long term impacts of forest disturbances.
Jessi Raubenolt
MSc. Student
I graduated with my bachelor’s in environmental science and biology from Ashland University in 2023. My undergraduate research experience comes from both university professors and USDA ARS scientists involving a variety of insects and topics such as Asiatic garden beetle population distribution, emerald ash borer host preference, and ambrosia beetle chemical ecology. Currently, I am a master’s student co-advised by Drs. Kayla Perry and Samuel Ward focused on ambrosia beetle thermal biology. I also assist Dr. Perry with a project to understand the dynamics of Ohio’s newly invasive elm zigzag sawfly.
Outside work and school, I enjoy hiking, collecting and pinning insects, and spending time with my pets!
Meghan Jerke
MSc Student
I graduated from Purdue University in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in insect biology and a minor in natural resources and environmental science. During my time as an undergraduate, I worked in research labs focusing on specialty crop pest management, soil and turfgrass arthropod ecology, and forest insect chemical ecology. My master’s work in the Perry lab focuses on the effects of forest management practices on the diversity of soil and ground-dwelling arthropod populations. Outside of the lab, I enjoy hiking, thrift shopping, and cooking.
Alyssa Mills
MPHM Graduate Student
I graduated from The Ohio State University in 2009 with a BS in Agriculture, animal sciences major and evolution and ecology minor. Currently I’m a Master in Plant Health Management student researching non-target effects of dinotefuran for elongate hemlock scale management in northeast Ohio with Dr. Perry and Dr. Ward advising. Outside of the lab, I work as a stewardship assistant with Ohio Natural Areas & Preserves Association as well as Killbuck Watershed Land Trust. We conduct rare plant surveys, monitoring, and preserve stewardship projects in cooperation with Ohio DNAP and USFWS.
Undergraduate Student Assistants
Anthony Garro
I am an undergraduate student at the Ohio State University majoring in Entomology with a Biochemistry minor. Within Perry Lab, I mainly focus on field work pertaining to Emerald Ash Borer research in Michigan. When off the field, I assist around the lab with field preparation and insect identification.
Elizabeth Arnold
I am an undergraduate student attending Ashland University. Under Dr. Kayla Perry, I am a student research assistant. My favorite aspect of working in Perry Lab is sorting through multiple pitfall samples and comparing all of the unique specimens! Field work is extremely exciting, and I am thrilled to learn new things over the course of the 2024 field season. Outside of the lab, I enjoy hiking, backpacking, camping, and kayaking. This lab provides amazing learning opportunities, and I am incredibly grateful to be an employee among such wonderful people.
Cassian Filbrun
I am an undergraduate student at the Ohio State University majoring in Social Work with a Psychology minor. In the lab, I am a student research assistant and I help with field and lab work with my main project being Secrest Arboretum. When I am not at work, I love to garden, hike, cook, listen to music, and spend time with friends.
Visiting Scholar
Cesia Nazaret Cerrato
Meet Cesia Cerrato, a Honduran student from Zamorano, she is currently studying a degree in agricultural science and production.
Cesia is a visiting scholar in the forest insect ecology lab under the guidance of Dr. Kayla Perry. Her work involves a hybrid of laboratory sample processing, insect identification, and field data collection.
Cesia is interested in investigating the effects of disturbances in forests ecosystems and their impact on arthropod diversity and abundance, such disturbances caused by anthropogenic activities and climate change. She is also interested in studying the relationship between forest and agriculture, as well as the insects that migrate from the forest to crops causing monetary losses to farmers. Cesia loves research and wants to become a reknown scientist in the future, thus helping to encourage public interest in conserving the flora and fauna that live in forests.