Madison Kluge
MS Student 2024 - 

Entomology, conservation biology, and ecology are at the heart of my research interests. Dung beetles offer insight into ecosystem health as bioindicators. Their ecological functions, such as dung burial and bioturbation, are important on pastureland, where livestock spend a lot of time eating, and most importantly for my work, pooping! Unpopular visitors like flies and nematodes use this dung resource, resulting in population spikes that negatively impact livestock health. Many producers rely on parasiticides to manage pest and parasite populations, which are often indirectly released into the environment. These contaminants can harm beneficial, non-target invertebrates like dung beetles, disrupting ecological processes and entire ecosystems. Through my master’s work, I study dung beetle foraging behavior, reproductive success, and fitness to understand how agricultural practices, particularly the use of parasiticides, shape insect communities.

• BS Catawba College

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