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publications
Validation of wing geometric morphometrics in Chrysodeixis spp. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to support pest identification in invasive species survey programs
Published in Frontiers in Insect Science, 2025
“…Our results validated the use of GM for distinguishing the invasive [Chrysodeixis] chalcites from the native C. includens. A limited number of landmarks on the center of the wing was used to address the challenges in GM for trap-collected lepidopteran pests.”
Recommended citation: Smith-Pardo AH, Torres KM and Paula-Moraes SV. (2025). "Validation of wing geometric morphometrics in Chrysodeixis spp. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to support pest identification in invasive species survey programs." Frontiers in Insect Science, 5:1542467. doi: 10.3389/finsc.2025.1542467
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Integration of wing pattern morphology and deep learning to support Plusiinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) pest identification
Published in Frontiers in Agronomy, 2025
“…This study introduces a novel application of existing deep learning models and techniques for quickly identifying plusiine pests, with potential uses for pest monitoring programs targeting economic plusiine pests beyond SBL [Soybean looper, Chrysodeixis includens].”
Recommended citation: Torres KM, Tan C, Mollet KA, Smith-Pardo AH, Xu R, Li C and Paula-Moraes SV. (2025). "Integration of wing pattern morphology and deep learning to support Plusiinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) pest identification." Frontiers in Agronomy, 7:1602164. doi: 10.3389/fagro.2025.1602164
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Biophysical and anthropogenic factors influencing human-caused wildfire occurrence in the southeastern United States
Published in UF Undergraduate Honors Theses Collection, 2025
Recommended citation: Torres KM. (2025). Biophysical and anthropogenic factors influencing human-caused wildfire occurrence in the southeastern United States [Undergraduate Honors Thesis, University of Florida]. UF Undergraduate Honors Theses Collection. https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00115146/00001/pdf
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Preparing Students for the Future: A Need to Integrate Entomology and Technology Education
Published in American Entomologist, 2026
“…students are not often taught how to bridge biology and technology. If students are expected to be both tech savvy and bug smart, we need support and opportunities to develop skills in both areas to excel.”
Recommended citation: Torres KM, (2026). "Preparing Students for the Future: A Need to Integrate Entomology and Technology Education." American Entomologist, 72(1) 30-31. doi: 10.1093/ae/tmag011
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talks
Wing morphometrics as a tool to support species identification and IPM/quarantine decisions in the subfamily Plusiinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).
Published:
Torres KM, Paula-Moraes SV, Mollet K, Smith-Pardo AH. Poster presented at Entomological Society of America, Southeastern Branch Meeting 2024.
Plusiinae wing morphometrics for species identification.
Published:
Torres KM, Paula-Moraes SV, Mollet K, Smith-Pardo AH. 10-min oral presentation at ENY4911 Supervised Research in Entomology.
Wings for species identification.
Published:
Torres KM. 45-min guest lecture at ENY3005 Principles of Entomology.
Steidinger Scholar internship experience.
Published:
Torres KM. 10-min oral presentation at FWRI KAS Auditorium.
Steidinger Scholar internship experience.
Published:
Torres KM. 20-min guest lecture at FOR3200C Foundations in Natural Resource Conservation.
Applying technology to wing patterns and morphometrics to improve Plusiinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) species identification.
Published:
Torres KM, Xu R, Paula-Moraes SV, Li C. 10-min oral presentation at Entomological Society of America, Entomology 2024.
Identifying factors associated with successful wildfire ignitions in the southeastern U.S.
Published:
Torres KM, Weidig NC, Ivey M, Donovan VM. 30-min oral presentation at FNR4950L Capstone in Natural Resource Conservation.
Using AI for Pest Identification.
Published:
Torres KM. 15-min oral presentation for Florida 4-H Ag Career Day.
Ticks in the Wild: Improving Tick Management in Natural Areas.
Published:
Torres KM, Schwager K. 5-min oral presentation at Ignite OFF! National Competition.
Ticks in the Wild: Improving Tick Management in Natural Areas.
Published:
Torres KM, Schwager K. 5-min oral presentation at 2025 DOE WDTS Semi-Final Ignite OFF! competition.
Biophysical and host-associated factors influencing fine-scale spatial distribution of questing hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in the Long Island Pine Barrens.
Published:
Torres KM, Burtt M, Schwager K. 6-min oral presentation at Brookhaven SULI Symposium.
Tick-Obsessed: A Year Toward Studying Tick Ecology and Management.
Published:
Torres KM. 30-min oral presentation at WIS4905 Individual Problems.
Second to none: Opportunities and challenges of secondary image data in ecological studies.
Published:
Torres KM, Pease BS. Poster presented at Illinois Chapter of The Wildlife Society (ILTWS) Meeting 2026.
Second to none: Opportunities and challenges of secondary image data in ecological studies.
Published:
Torres KM, Pease BS. Poster presented at SIU CALPS Meeting 2026.
Uniting Three Domains: Participatory science, technology, and conservation in the realm of Big Data.
Published:
Torres KM, Pease BS. Presentation and poster presented at 2026 Conference for Advancing the Participatory Sciences (CAPS).
Getting a second wind: Deriving ecological insights from secondary image data in biodiversity records.
Published:
Torres KM, Pease BS. Oral presentation at 2026 Digital Data in Biodiversity.
teaching
Graduate Teaching Assistant for Forest Resources Economics (FOR411)
Undergraduate course, Southern Illinois University, School of Forestry and Horticulture, 2025
- Instructor: Dr. Brent S. Pease
- Developed grading rubrics and held office hours for senior-level forest economics class
- Provided grades and constructive feedback to 48 upper-level undergraduate students
Graduate Teaching Assistant for Wildlife Biology Principles (ZOOL468)
Undergraduate course, Southern Illinois University, School of Biological Sciences, 2025
- Instructor: Dr. Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau
- Led and supervised in-class discussions on natural selection, trophic cascades, and diversity and inclusion in wildlife biology
Beginner’s Introduction to R Workshop
Workshop, Illinois Chapter of The Wildlife Society Meeting 2026, 2026