Zhiwei Liu
Office: 2114 - Life Science Annex
Phone: 217-581-8319
Email: zliu@eiu.edu
Frequently Taught Courses
BIO4984 Evolution
BIO5225 Systematics
Research
My primary research interests surround the phylogenetic systematics and evolution of cynipoid wasps (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Cynipoidea). My earlier research focused on phylogeny and historical biogeography of the “macrocynipoid” wasps (Hymenoptera, Cynipoidea) parasitizing wood-boring insects using morphology characters to reconstruct phylogeny. My systematic work also includes taxonomical studies, including revisions and description of new species.
In an almost completed project, I, together with my coauthors, discovered 90 new species of the liopterid genus Paramblynotus. My recent research uses molecular data to reconstruct phylogeny of cynipid gall wasps, with special interest in the evolution of the associations between these wasps and their hosts.
I am also keenly interested in the interactions between herbivores and their host plants. In a on going project, I survey systems of gall-inducing cynipid wasps and their host plants to examine hypothesis about gall formation as a protection mechanism against natural enemies, especially parasitic wasps. For more information, please visit my research page.
Publications
Zhu, D-H, S-S Cui, Y-S Fan, and Z. Liu. 2011. Effects of photoperiod and temperature on adult reproductive diapause and mating strategies of males in Stenocatantops splendens (Orthoptera: Catantopidae). Insect Science (in press).
Li, B., Z. Liu, and Z.-M. Zheng. 2011 Phylogeny of Catantopidae represented in the Chinese fauna (Orthoptera: Acridoidea). ZooKeys (in press).
Wang, Y-P, Z. Liu, X-X Chen. 2011 Study on eastern Palaearctic cynipid inquilines I – the genus CeroptresHartig, 1840 with descriptions of two new species (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipinae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America (in press).
Lu, P., D. Zhu, X. Yang, Z. Liu 2011. Phylogenetic relationship among gallwasps associated with host plants in the genus Castanea based on COI sequence data (in Chinese). Chinese Journal of Applied Entomology (in press).
W. Beatty, Z. Liu, E. Latch, and T. Nelson. 2011. Genetic Assessment of the Red Squirrel in Illinois: Immigrants or Exotics? Journal of Wildlife Management, 75(5):1236–1242.
Jutras, B. L., Z. Liu, C. A. Brissette. 2010. Simultaneous Isolation of Ixodidae and Bacterial (Borrelia spp.) Genomic DNA. Current Protocols in Microbiology, 19:1E.2.1-1E.2.11., John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Zhao, L-Q, D-H Zhu,and Z. Liu. 2010. Geographical Variation in Diapause Intensity and Threshold Temperature in the Eggs of a Cricket, Teleogryllus emma (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Entomological News 121(3):236-242.
Liu, Z. and M. Engel. (2010). Baltic amber Ibaliidae (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea): A new genus with implications for the phylogeny and historical biogeography of the family. Systematic Entomology, 35 (1): 164-171.
Zhu, D., Y. Yang, and Z. Liu. (2009). Reversible change in embryonic diapause intensity by mild temperature in the Chinese rice grasshopper, Oxya chinensis. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 133:1-8.
Crawford*, J. C., Z. Liu, T. A. Nelson, C. K. Nielsen, and C. K. Bloomquist. (2009). Genetic population structure within and between beaver (Castor canadensis) populations in Illinois. Journal of Mammalogy, 90(2):373-379.
Crawford*, J. C., Z. Liu, T. A. Nelson, C. K. Nielsen, and C. K. Bloomquist. 2008. A Comparison of Field and Molecular Techniques for Sexing Beavers. Journal of Wildlife Management 72(8):1805–1807.
Crawford*, J.C., Z. Liu, T. A. Nelson, C. K. Nielsen, and C. K. Bloomquist. (2008) Characterization of Microsatellite Loci in the Beaver (Castor canadensis). Molecular Ecology Resources 3: 616 - 618.
Crawford*, J.C., Z. Liu, T. A. Nelson, C. K. Nielsen, and C. K. Bloomquist. (2008) Microsatellite analysis of mating and kinship in beavers (Castor canadensis). Journal of Mammalogy 89(3): 575–581.
Z. Liu, M. Engel, and D. Grimaldi (2007) Phylogeny and Geological History of the Cynipoid Wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea). Natural History Novitates,3583: 1-48.
Liu, Z., Nordlander, G., and Ronquist, F. (2007) Systematics, Phylogeny, and Historical biogeography ofParamblynotus Cameron, 1908 (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Liopteridae). Bulletins of the American Museum of Natural History, 466, 1-150.
Liu, Zhiwei, Fredrik Ronquist, Göran Nordlander (2007) The cynipoid genus Paramblynotus : revision, phylogeny, and historical biogeography (Hymenoptera, Liopteridae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 304: 1-151. (pdf )
Liu, Zhiwei, Michael S. Engel, and David A. Grimaldi (2007) Phylogeny and geological history of the cynipoid wasps (Hymenoptera, Cynipoidea). American Museum novitates, no. 3583: 1-48. (pdf)
Z. Liu, and Ronquist, F. (2006) Ch.98 Cynipidae, (In) Fernández F. & M.J. Sharkey (eds) Introducción a los Hymenoptera de la Región Neotropical, Serie Entomología Colombiana, Sociedad Colombiana de Entomología, Bogotá D.C., Colombia, p839-849. (In Spanish)
Buffington, M., Z. Liu, and Ronquist, F. (2006) Ch.94 Cynipoidea, (In) Fernández F. & M.J. Sharkey (eds) Introducción a los Hymenoptera de la Región Neotropical, Serie Entomología Colombiana, Sociedad Colombiana de Entomología, Bogotá D.C., Colombia, p811-823. (In Spanish)
Ronquist, F. and Z. Liu (2006) Ch.95 Ibaliidae, (In) Fernández F. & M.J. Sharkey (eds) Introducción a los Hymenoptera de la Región Neotropical, Serie Entomología Colombiana, Sociedad Colombiana de Entomología, Bogotá D.C., Colombia, p825-826. (In Spanish)
Ronquist, F. and Z. Liu (2006) Ch.96 Liopteridae, (In) Fernández F. & M.J. Sharkey (eds) Introducción a los Hymenoptera de la Región Neotropical, Serie Entomología Colombiana, Sociedad Colombiana de Entomología, Bogotá D.C., Colombia, p827-828. (In Spanish)
Conference Presentations
Liu, Z., 2008. Host plant preference and Sympatric speciation in gall making species. Jishou University, Jishou, Hunan, China. Liu, Z. 2008. Host plant preference and Sympatric speciation in gall making species. Jishou University, Jishou, Hunan, China.
Liu, Z. 2008. Diversity of gall making insects and their interaction with host plants, with special emphasis on Cynipidae wasps. Cincinnati Museum Center Advanced Naturalist Workshops series 4, Richard and Lucile Durrell Edge of Appalachia Preserve, Ohio.
Liu, Z. 2008. Collecting and identifying galls and their makers. Cincinnati Museum Center Advanced Naturalist Workshops series 4, Richard and Lucile Durrell Edge of Appalachia Preserve, Ohio.
Liu. Z & G. Tucker. 2008. Culture & science behind plant use in China – an introduction to the Ethnobotany in China Program. Eastern Illinois University Botany Club.
Beatty*, W. S., Z. Liu, and T. A. Nelson. 2008. A genetic assessment of the red squirrel in Illinois: natives, immigrants, or exotics? Illinois State Chapter of the Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Peoria, Illinois, Oral Presentation.
Beatty*, W.S., Z. Liu, and T.A. Nelson, 2007, A Genetic Assessment of the Red Squirrel in Illinois: Natives, Immigrants or Exotics? The 68th Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference in Madison, Wisconsin.
Beatty, W. S.*, Z. Liu, T. A. Nelsen. 2007. Poster. Intraspecific phylogeography and population genetics of the red squirrel in Illinois. 99th Annual Meeting of the Illinois State Academy of Science, Springfield, Illinois.
Crawford*, J.C., Z. Liu, T. A. Nelson, C. K. Nielsen, and C. K. Bloomquist. 2007. Genetic Analysis of Mating and Kinship in Beavers. International Beaver Ecology and Management Conference, Phoenix, AZ.
Crawford*, J.C., Z. Liu, T. A. Nelson, C. K. Nielsen, and C. K. Bloomquist. 2007. Genetic Variation in Beavers (Castor canadensis). Illinois Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Moline, IL.
Crawford*, J. C., Z. Liu, and T. A. Nelson. 2006. A Comparison of Two Molecular Methods for Sex Determination in Beaver (Castor canadensis). Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference, Omaha, NE.
Crawford*, J. C., Z. Liu, and T. A. Nelson. 2006. A Comparison of Two Molecular Methods for Sex Determination in Beaver (Castor canadensis). Illinois Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Rend Lake, IL.
Crawford*, J. C., Z. Liu, and T. A. Nelson. 2006. Poster. A Comparison of Two Molecular Methods for Sex Determination in Beaver (Castor canadensis). Midwest Ecology and Evolution Conference, St. Louis, MO.
Liu, Z. 2007. Deep history of Cynipoidea and evolution of cynipid gall wasp host associations (Cynipoidea, Hymenoptera). Institute of Zoology, Academy of Sciences of China, Beijing (The same contents were also presented in Shandong Agricultural University, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Central South University of Forestry and Technology).
Liu, Z. 2006. Phylogeny and Geological History of the Cynipoid Wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea). Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, Indianapolis, IN (poster).
Liu, Z. 2006. The cynipoid genus Paramblynotus: Revision, Phylogeny, and Historical biogeography (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Liopteridae). Annual Meeting of the North Central Branch of the Entomological Society of America, Bloomington, IL (poster)
Liu, Z. 2006. The origins and evolution of Herbivory within the parasitic cynipoid wasps. Invited keynote speech, The 3rd Annual Department of Biological Sciences Student Research Symposium, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.
