Dr. Merritt's major research interests focus on the feeding ecology, animal microbial interactions, population dynamics, and influence of environmental factors on immature aquatic insects, especially the Diptera.  His most recent research has concentrated on the ecology of an emerging disease, Buruli Ulcer, in Africa which involves insects, biomonitoring of streams and rivers, the effects of pollutants on aquatic ecosystems, and the role of marine-derived nutrients (salmon carcasses) on aquatic insect communities in Alaskan streams.  He also is involved in the field of Forensic Entomology, and assists police departments in crime scene investigations involving insects.  He has co-edited three editions of a textbook entitled, "An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America", and, a book entitled, "Black Flies: Ecology, Population Management, and Annotated World List."  Dr. Merritt received the MSU Distinguished Faculty Award in 2004.

Recommended Links:

The Merritt Lab

Merritt, R.W., K. W. Cummins, and M. E. Berg (eds.). 2007.  An introduction to the aquatic insects of North America (3rd ed.).  Kendall/Hunt Publ. Co., Dubuque, IA (in press).

Merritt, R. W., and K. W. Cummins. 2006.  Trophic relations of macroinvertebrates, pp. 585-609.  In: Hauer, F. R. and G. A. Lamberti (eds). Methos in Stream Ecology (2nd ed.). Elsevier, London.

Lessard, J. L. and R. W. Merritt. 2006. Influence of marine-derived nutrients from spawning salmon on aquatic insects communities in southeast Alaskan streams. Oikos 113: 334-343.

Merritt, R. W., M.E. Benbow, and P. L. C. Small.  2005.  Unraveling an emerging disease associated with disturbed aquatic environments: the case of Buruli ulcer. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 3: 323-331.

Merritt, R. W., J. L. Lessard, K. J. Wessell, O. Hernandez, M. B. Berg, J. R. Wallace, J. A. Novak, J. Ryan, and B. W. Merritt.  2005.  Lack of effects of Bacillus spaericus (Vectolex®) on nontarget organisms in a mosquito control program in southeastern Wisconsin: A 3-year study. J. Amer. Mosq. Cont. Assoc. 21:201-212.

Cummins, K. W., R. W. Merritt, and P. Andrade. 2005.  The use of invertebrate functional groups to characterize ecosystems attributes in selected streams and rivers in southeast Brazil. Studies of Neotropical Fauna and the Environment 40 (1): 69-89.

Wilhelm, J. G. O., J. D. Allan, K. J. Wessell, R. W. Merritt, and K. W. Cummins. 2005. Habitat assessment of non-wadeable rivers in Michigan. Environmental Management 36: 592-609.

Malmqvist. B., P. Adler, K. Kuusela, R. W. Merritt, and R. S. Wotton. 2004. Black flies in the boreal biome, key organisms in both terrestrial and aquatic environments: A review. Ecoscience 11: 187-200.

Wallace, J. R., and R. W. Merritt. 2004. Diel feeding periodicity of larval anopheline mosquitoes on microorganisms and microinverterates: A spatial and temporal comparison on Anopheles quadrimaculatus (Diptera: Culicidae) diets in Michigan pond. J. Med. Entomol. 41: 853-860.

Benbow, M. E. and R. W. Merritt. 2004. Road salt toxicity of Michigan wetland macroinvertebrates under different testing conditions. Wetlands 24: 68-76.