Even though its the middle of winter I’m still flat out with my PhD project – mainly because nothing is working so I’m scrabbling for any kind of progress I can muster! Here are some recent updates.
…
parasitoid wasp
My PhD project in a nut shell
I started my PhD in October 2017 at the University of Auckland.
My supervisor is Associate Professor Greg Holwell. Greg is interested in evolution—particularly sexual selection—and uses arthropods to work on some of the biggest questions in this area. My co-supervisor is Dr Gonzalo Avila, leader of the biocontrol team at Plant & Food Research, Auckland. Gonzalo is interested in evaluating parasitoids for their uses in classical biocontrol programmes.
This post is a brief overview of the rationale and methods of my project.
…
My 2nd Published Paper
My second ever scientific paper has just been published! You can read it here.
It’s published open access in the journal PeerJ, which means it is freely accessible by anyone.
This paper deals with the experimental part of my masters research. I put out loads of insect traps at a couple of sites in the Waitakere Ranges over the summer, and then used the resulting catch of native wasps to try to figure out more efficient ways of trapping them.
…
Radio Interview: NZ’s Weird Native Wasps
“What? Native wasps?” I hear you say. Yes, thousands of them! And they don’t sting!
I was interviewed on Radio New Zealand’s ‘Our Changing World Programme’ by Alison Ballance. We chatted about our misunderstood parasitoid wasps, my masters research, and the value of taxonomy. You can check out the interview here. Happy listening!
…
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Scientific name: Halyomorpha halys (Stål 1855)
Common name: Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB)
Native range: China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan
Current invaded range: Canada, USA, Chile, at least 11 EU countries
BMSB – By Hectonichus via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
…
Samurai Wasp vs Sneaky Stink Bug: A PhD in the Making
Insects fascinate me, and I want my science to have real impact. That’s why I’m teaming up with Dr Gonzalo Avila from Plant & Food Research, and Dr Greg Holwell from The University of Auckland. I started a PhD project last month to improve the way that classical biological control agents are tested before release. I’m looking at a current hot-topic in pest management: Brown marmorated stink bug.
…
What Are Parasitoid Wasps?
Most Wasps Are Misunderstood…
‘Wasps’ are truly a diverse group of insects – with over 100,000 species known out of an estimated total of 350,000, they make up a considerable chunk of biodiversity.
It’s true that some wasps wreak havoc against native biodiversity and cause serious allergic reactions when they turn their sights on people. However, only a handful of species give wasps their bad reputation in New Zealand:…
Navigating My First Media Storm
What A Month!
I intended to publish the first post on my recently-refreshed website much sooner than today. The delay is due to being caught up in a surge of media interest over a Harry Potter themed species description that formed part of my masters research.
It all started back in August when my first ever scientific article was published in New Zealand Entomologist…
A new species of Lusius (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) from New Zealand.
…