Lab Members

Current students

Brogan Pett (PhD, 2024-current)

PhD student, University of Iceland

Brogan joined the Agnarsson lab in 2024 and works on the systematics and biogeography of Argyrodinae, focusing on the classification, evolution, phylogeny and ecology of spider kleptoparsites

Email: [email protected]

Publications
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Pett BL, Ferreira E, Agnarsson I. In Press. Megadiverse Madagascar: New species and genera of argyrodine spiders (Araneae, Theridiidae, Argyrodinae) from the eastern rainforest reserve Analamazoatra. Insect Systematics and Diversity.
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Snorri Björn Magnússon (Ms, 2025-current)


​Ms student, University of Iceland

Snorri joined the Agnarsson lab in 2025 working on the commensals of social spiders, in particular the ecology of Anelosimus spiders in Madagascar and their symbionts

Email: [email protected]
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​Eneka Sigurðardóttir (Ms, 2025-current)

Ecology of geothermal areas in Iceland
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Alumni
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​Ms. Darya Chernikhova 

Self employed
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Email: [email protected]

Darya graduated from the Agnarsson lab (co-advised with Dr. Brynhildur Davíðsdóttir) after completing work on Biobanking and microbiome cryobanking

Publications

Chernikhova D, Basran C J..2025. Biobanking marine biodiversity in the Arctic. Frontiers in Marine Science 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1385797

Jefferson T, Henley EM, Erwin PM, Lager C, Perry R, Chernikhova D, Powell-Palm M.J, Ushijima B, Hagedorn M. 2024. Evaluating the coral microbiome during cryopreservation. Cryobiology 117: 104960.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cryobiol.2024.104960

Marsh, G., Chernikhova, D., Thiele, S., & Altshuler, I. (2024). Microbial dynamics in rapidly transforming Arctic proglacial landscapes. PLOS Climate 3: e0000337. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000337
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Dr. ​Franklyn Cala Riquelme 

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Publications
Curator Assistant - California Academy of Sciences

Email: [email protected] 

Franklyn graduated from the National University of Colombia (primary advisor Dr. Alvaro Eduardo Florez Daza) after completing work on the systematics and biogeography of Caribbean salticids
Cala-Riquelme F, Wiencek P, Flores-Daza E, Binford G, Agnarsson I. 2022. Island-to-island vicariance, founder-event and within-area speciation, the biogeographical history of the Antillattus clade in the Caribbean (Salticidae: Euophryini). Diversity 14: 224.

Cala-Riquelme F, Quijano-Cuervo L, Sabogal-González A, Agnarsson I. 2018. New species of Otiothopinae (Araneae: Palpimanidae) from Colombia. Zootaxa 4442: 413-426.

Cala-Riquelme F, Gutiérrez-Estrada M, Florez-Daza AE, Agnarsson I. 2017. A new six-eyed sand spider Sicarius Keyserling, 1880 (Araneae: Haplogynae: Sicariidae) from Colombia, with information on its natural history. Arachnology 17: 193-199.

Cala-Riquelme F, Agnarsson I. 2014. New species of Otiothops MacLeay (Araneae: Palpimanidae: Otiothiopinae) from Cuba. Arachnology 16: 193-194.

Ms. Lily Shapiro

PhD student, Harvard

Email: [email protected]

Lily graduated from the Agnarsson lab in 2022, completing work on Micrathena spiders in the Caribbean.

Publications

Shapiro L, Binford G, Agnarsson I. 2022. Single island endemism despite repeated dispersal in Caribbean Micrathena (Araneae: Araneidae): an updated phylogeographic analysis. Diversity 14: 128.
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Dr. Lisa Chamberland
Postdoctoral fellow - UC Davies

Email: [email protected]

Lisa graduated from the Agnarsson in 2019, after completing work on the biogeography of arachnids in the Caribbean, focusing on Deinopis (Ogre-faced spiders) and Gasteracantha (Spiny orbweavers).

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Publications

Chamberland L, Agnarsson I, Quayle IL, Ruddy T, Starrett J, Bond JE. 2022. Biogeography and eye size evolution of the ogre-faced spiders. Scientific Reports 12: 17769.

Chamberland L, Binford GJ, Agnarsson I. 2020. Phylogeography of the widesread Caribbean spiny orb weaver Gasteracantha cancriformis. PeerJ 8:e8976 DOI 10.7717/peerj.8976.
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Chamberland L, McHugh A, Kechejian S, Binford GJ, Bond J, Coddington JA, Dolman G, Hamilton C, Harvey MS, Kuntner M, Agnarsson I. 2018. From Gondwana to GAARlandia: global biogeography of ogre-faced spiders (Deinopidae) mirrors geologic history. Journal of Biogeography 45: 2442-2457
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Dr. Federico Lopez-Osorio

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Postdoctoral fellow - Mary University of London

Email: [email protected]

Webpage: http://www.federicolopez.org/

Federico graduated from the Agnarsson lab in 2016 after completing work on the systematics of Vespidae wasps





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Publications

Perrarda A, Lopez-Osorio F, Carpenter JM. 2016. Phylogeny, landmark analysis and the use of wing venation to study the evolution of social wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Vespinae). Cladistics early view.

Lopez-Osorio F, Perrard A, Pickett KM, Carpenter JM, Agnarsson I. 2015. Phylogenetic tests reject Emery’s rule in the evolution of social parasitism in yellowjackets and hornets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Vespinae). Royal Society Open Science 2, 150159

Lopez-Osorio F, Pickett KM, Carpenter JM, Ballif BA, Agnarsson I. 2014. Phylogenetic relationships of yellowjackets inferred from nine loci (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Vespinae, Vespula and Dolichovespula). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 73: 190-201

Dr. Sohath Zamira Yusseff Vanegas

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Research Associate - San Diego Natural History Museum

Email: [email protected]

Web: http://sohathyusseff.wix.com/entoforensecaribe#!home/c1riq
Blog: http://caribbeancalliphoridae.blogspot.com/

Sohath graduated from the Agnarsson lab after completing work on the systematics and biogeography of calliphorid flies in the Caribbean



​Publications

Yusseff-Vanegas S, Agnarsson I. 2017. DNA-barcoding of forensically important blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in the Caribbean Region. PeerJ 5:e3516 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3516

Yusseff-Vanegas S, Agnarsson I. 2016. Molecular phylogeny of the forensically important genus Cochliomyia (Diptera: Calliphoridae). ZooKeys 609: 107-120 

Yusseff-Vanegas, S. 2014 Description of Third Instars ofCochliomyia minima (Diptera: Calliphoridae) From West Indies, and Updated Identification Key. Journal of Medical Entomology 51: 1051-1056


Ms. Anne McHugh

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rogram Manager - Portland General Electric

Email: [email protected]

Webpage: annemchugh.wordpress.com

Anne graduated from the Agnarsson lab after completing work on the biogeography of Micrathena spiders in the Caribbean

  

Publications


McHugh, A., Yablonsky, C., Binford, G., and Agnarsson, I. (2014). Molecular phylogenetics of Caribbean Micrathena (Araneae:Araneidae) suggests multiple colonization events and single island endemism. Invertebrate Systematics. 28 (4), 337-349.
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Dr. Ximena Vélez-Zuazo

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Managing Director - Smithsonian Center for Conservation and Sustainability, Peru

Email: [email protected]

Webpage: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/SCBI/CCS/peru-biodiversity-program.cfm

Ximena graduated from the Agnarsson lab after completing work on the systematics of sharks and shark fisheries





Publications

Velez-Zuazo X, Alfaro-Shigueto J, Mangel, J Papa R, Agnarsson I. 2015. What barcode sequencing reveals about the shark fishery in Peru. Fisheries Research 161, 34-41

Vélez-Zuazo X, Agnarsson I. 2011. Shark tales: a molecular species-level phylogeny of sharks (Selachimorpha, Chondrichthyes). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 58 (2), 207-217


Postdoctoral Researchers

Yufa Luo (2016-2017) - Biogeography of Anelosimus spiders. Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, China.

Yanfeng Tong (2016-2017) - Biogeography of Caribbean sparassids. Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang, China.

​JIe Liu (2014-2015) - Phylogenetics of spiders. Hubei University, Wuhan, China.

Laura J. May-Collado (2013-2014) - Phylogeny and biogeography of Phrynus, phylogenetics and acoustics of mammals. University of Vermont.

Lab technicians:
Gabe LeMay (2018-2019)
Patrick Wiencek (2016-2018)
Sarah Kechejian (2015)
Giselle Veve (2014-2015)
Lisa Chamberland (2014)
Carol Yablonsky (2013-2014)

Undergraduate alumni:
James Grant (2020-2021)
Josie Lowell (2020-2021)
Patrick Wiencek (2017-2020)
Gabe LeMay (2020-2021)
​Alli Nemrow (2019-2020)
Lily Canavan (2019-2020)
Mia Kosel (2019-2020)
Cooper Peterson (2019-2020)
Jack Walinski (2019)
Zoe Albion (2018)
Jon Ancowitz (2018-2019)
Haily Moll (2018)
Eric Guzzetta (2018)
Cassandra Smith (2018)
Zac Babbitz (2018-2022)
Tilly Ingall (2018)
Lily Shapiro (2018-2019)
Connor Nicholsson (2018)
Gabe LeMay (2017-2019)
Meg Kuhn (2017)
Lexy Avonda (2017)
Addie Cotier (2017-2029)
Chloe Van Patten (2015-2017) 
Lily Sargeant  (2015-2017) 
Ben Chomitz  (2015-2017) 
Diana D Gurevich (2016)
Nicole H Reber (2016)
Emma Chereskin (2016)
Shayna Moellenberg (2015)
Marlena Tremback (2014-2015)
Patrick Wiencek (2015-present)
Catherine Plungis (2015)
Alexandra Basquette (2015)
Austin Dziki (2014-2015)
Stephanie LeQuier (2014)
Lexy Basquette (2014)
Nicole Reber (2014)
Shayna Moellenberg (2014)
Giselle Veve (2013-2014)
Brian B Jencik (2014)
Blake Artuso (2013)
Lisa Chamberland (2012-2015)
​Carol Yablonsky (2012-2013)
Laura Caicedo-Quiroga (2011-2012)
Angela Alicea (2011-2012)
​Jose Sanchez (2011-2012)
Diego Agostini (2010-2012)

Undergraduate** publications from the Agnarsson lab

Dupérré N, **Francisco C, Agnarsson I, Binford GJ. 2020.  The spider genus Heteroonops (Aranea: Oonopidae) from Dominican Republic, the discovery of ten new species. Zookeys 964: 1-30.
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**LeMay GA, Agnarsson I. 2020. New species of smiley-faced spider Spintharus (Araneae, Theridiidae) from Brazil, and comments on unobserved diversity in South America. Zookeys.

**Smith C, **Cotter A, Grinsted L, Bowolaksono A, Watiniasih NL, Agnarsson I. 2019. In a relationship: sister-species in mixed colonies, with a description of Chikunia bilde (Theridiidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 186: 337-352. 

*Chamberland L, *McHugh A, **Kechejian S, Binford GJ, Bond J, Coddington JA, Dolman G, Hamilton C, Harvey MS, Kuntner M, Agnarsson I. 2018. From Gondwana to GAARlandia: global biogeography of ogre-faced spiders (Deinopidae) mirrors geologic history. Journal of Biogeography 45: 2442-2457.​

Chapin KJ, Winkler DE, **Wiencek P, Agnarsson I. 2018. Island biogeography and ecological modeling of the amblypygid Phrynus marginemaculatus in the Florida Keys archipelago. Ecology and Evolution 8: 9139-9151

Agnarsson I, **Van Patten C, **Sargeant L, **Chomitz B, **Dziki A, Binford G. 2018. A radiation of the ornate Caribbean ‘smiley-faced spiders’ – with descriptions of 15 new species (Araneae, Theridiidae, Spintharus). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 182: 758-790. 

Agnarsson I, **LeQuier S, Kuntner M, Cheng R-C, Binford GJ. 2016. Phylogeography of a good Caribbean disperser: Argiope argentata (Araneae: Araneidae) and a new ‘cryptic’ species from Cuba. Zookeys 625: 25-44 

**Cosgrove JG, Agnarsson I, Harvey MS, Binford GJ. 2016. Pseudoscorpion diversity and distribution in the West Indies: sequence data confirms single island endemism for some clades, but not others. Journal of Arachnology 44: 257-271

Agnarsson I, Gotelli NJ, **Agostini D, Kuntner M. 2016. Limited role of character displacement in the coexistence of congeneric Anelosimus spiders in a Madagascan montane forest. Ecography 39: 743-753 

**Dziki A, Binford GJ, Coddington JA, Agnarsson I. 2015. Spintharus flavidus in the Caribbean – a 30 million year biogeographical history and radiation of a ‘widespread species’. PeerJ 3:e1422; DOI 10.7717/peerj.1422

Esposito LA, **Bloom T, **Caicedo L, **Alicea-Serrano A, **Sánchez-Ruíz J, Laura J. May-Collado, Binford G, Agnarsson I. 2015. Islands within islands: diversification of tailless whip spiders (Amblypygi, Phrynus) in Caribbean caves. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 93: 107-117 

Agnarsson I, **Jencik BB, **Veve GM, *Hanitriniaina S, **Agostini D, *Goh SP, Pruitt J, Kuntner M. 2015. Systematics of the Madagascar Anelosimus spiders: remarkable local richness and endemism, and dual colonization from the Americas. Zookeys 509: 13-52

Marshall SA, Borkent A, Agnarsson I, Otis GW, **Fraser L, **d'Entremont D. 2015. New observations on a neotropical termite-hunting theridiid spider: opportunistic nest raiding, prey storage, and ceratopogonid kleptoparasites. Journal of Arachnology 43: 419-421

**Bloom T, Binford G, Alayon G, Esposito L, **Petersen I, **Nishida A, **Loubet-Senear K, Agnarsson I. 2014. Discovery of two new species of eyeless spiders within a single Hispaniola cave. Journal of Arachnology 42: 148-154. 

*McHugh A, **Yablonsky C, Binford G, Agnarsson I. 2014. Molecular phylogenetics of Caribbean Micrathena (Araneae: Araneidae) suggests multiple colonization events and single island endemism. Invertebrate Systematics 28: 337-349

*Gregorič M, *Kiesbüy HC, **Quiñones Lebrón SG, Rozman A, Agnarsson I, Kuntner A. 2013. Optimal foraging, not biogenetic law, predicts spider orb web allometry. Naturwissenschaften 100: 263-268.

Sensenig A, Agnarsson I, **Gondek T, Blackledge TA. 2010. Webs in vitro and in vivo: Spiders alter their orb web spinning behavior in the laboratory. Journal of Arachnology 38: 183-191