Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

Steve Taylor, PhD

I am a researcher at the Illinois Natural History Survey, a unit of the Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability at the University of Illinois. My duties involve assessing aquatic invertebrates in streams throughout Illinois as a part of the statewide biological survey and assessment program. I also do research on cave faunas and true bugs.

Caves and karst:
(biology, conservation, & management)

I have conducted research in California and Mexico in collaboration with Jean Krejca, Texas (with Jean Krejca and Chris Phillips), Missouri and Arkansas (with Mike Slay), Nevada (with Jean Krejca and Mike Slay) and Illinois. Past work on cave-adapted amphipods in Illinois is in collaboration with Frank Wilhelm (University of Idaho), Ginny Adams (University of Central Arkansas) and Sam Panno (Illinois State Geological Survey). I've recently completed works on cave-inhabiting globular sprintails with Douglas Zeppelini (Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Brazil) and on western North American millipeds with Bill Shear (Hampden-Sydney College, Virginia). Current work focuses on cave springtails in Illinois is in collaboration with Felipe Soto-Adames (INHS) and on subterranean Stygobromus amphipods in Nevada with John Holsinger (Old Dominion University, Virginia). My current obsession is psuedoscorpions, and I have three current projects in this area a new species description (on my own), a collaboration with Mark Harvey, and studies of Ozark pseudoscorpions with Mike Slay.

Heteroptera:

I'm interested in the biology "True Bugs", especially Gerromorpha (Water Striders and kin), Aradidae (Flat Bugs), Reduviidae, Coreidae and aquatic groups (Nepomorpha). Some of my Heteropteran research is in collaboration with J. E. McPherson (SIUC Zoology). Recently I've been working with Paul Tinerella on several projects involving aquatic Heteroptera and Coleoptera.

In addition to studies of caves and true bugs, I also have various other collaborations: with Jeyaraney Kathirithamby (Oxford, UK) I've been studying Strepsiptera; with Tony Yannarell (NRES, University of Illinois) and others, I've been involved in studies of Lespedeza, an invasive plant.