Clare, ElizabethBorsato, Nicole Dorothy2025-04-102025-04-102024-08-072025-04-10https://hdl.handle.net/10315/42725The objectives of this thesis were to develop a standardized metabarcoding protocol to identify ecological interactions between insects and other taxa, as well as determine the impact of ecological correlates on the detection of these interactions. In Chapter 2, I evaluate target loci for the identification of Lymantria dispar dispar (spongy moth) and Agrilus planipennis (emerald ash borer) ecological interactions and develop a standardized protocol for the analysis of these interactions. I demonstrate that my metabarcoding protocol can be used to identify a wide diversity of interactions, including those with animals, plants, bacteria, and fungi. In Chapter 3, I assess how ecological factors (e.g., life stage, collection location, etc.) influence the presence or absence of ecological interactions in emerald ash borers using random forest models. I found that interactions were more likely to be detected in pupal specimens and in samples collected earlier in the year.Author owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. Please contact the author directly with licensing requests.Electronic Thesis or Dissertation2025-04-10MetabarcodingEmerald ash borersSpongy mothsAgrilus planipennisLymantria dispar disparRandom forestSymbiomeHolobiontEcological interactionsrbcLCOI16S18SITSInteractionsEnvironmental DNAeDNAHigh‐throughput sequencingDNA barcodingInsectInvasive speciesBiological controls