Larry Reeves, Ph. D.

Dr. Lawrence Reeves is an assistant professor with the University of Florida, based at the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory. He is interested in mosquito diversity, ecology, and biology, and the ecology of mosquito control. He initially became interested in mosquitoes because they interact with a tremendous range of organisms from Nepenthes pitcher plants, to marine mammals, to Burmese pythons, to the pathogens they transmit. He first realized the importance and central ecological position of mosquitoes when he was infected with dengue virus while studying Lepidoptera in the Philippines. Dr. Reeves' research integrates lab and field work through DNA barcoding, using molecular techniques to understand species diversity and boundaries, to reveal interactions between mosquitoes and other species, and to better understand the evolution of mosquito host associations.