Bowling Green, Ky. - A Western Kentucky University biology faculty member and six students recently traveled to Florida for a four-day butterfly collecting expedition.

Dr. Jeffery Marcus, an assistant professor, and the WKU students captured 35 butterflies that will be used to understand the genetic population structure of two species -- the common buckeye butterfly and the mangrove buckeye butterfly.

The group is studying "the genetic differences that cause these two very similar species to look and behave differently from one another," Dr. Marcus said.

Participants were undergraduates Travis Evans of Orlando, Fla., Amber Harper of Cloverport, Sarah House of Scottsville, Amanda Maupin of Lebanon and Tara Powell of Central City as well as graduate student Tia Hughes of Bowling Green.

The group traveled from Orlando to Vero Beach on the Atlantic Coast then to Sarasota on the Gulf Coast and visited Lake Lousia State Park, Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area, Jack Island Preserve, Ft. Pierce Inlet State Park, St. Sebastian Inlet State Park, Kissimmee Prairie State Conservation Area, Myakka River State Park, Werner-Boyce Salt Spring State Park and Honeymoon Island State Park.

The research trip was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information or photos, contact Jeffrey Marcus at (270) 745-2043.