ORCID Profile
0000-0002-3347-5411
Current Organisations
University of Western Australia
,
James Cook University
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Biosecurity science and invasive species ecology | Sociology and social studies of science and technology | Ecological applications | Horticultural crop protection (incl. pests diseases and weeds)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.TREE.2022.06.001
Abstract: Insects are the most erse group of animals on Earth, but their small size and high ersity have always made them challenging to study. Recent technological advances have the potential to revolutionise insect ecology and monitoring. We describe the state of the art of four technologies (computer vision, acoustic monitoring, radar, and molecular methods), and assess their advantages, current limitations, and future potential. We discuss how these technologies can adhere to modern standards of data curation and transparency, their implications for citizen science, and their potential for integration among different monitoring programmes and technologies. We argue that they provide unprecedented possibilities for insect ecology and monitoring, but it will be important to foster international standards via collaboration.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-01-2020
DOI: 10.1038/S41597-019-0344-7
Abstract: The use of functional information in the form of species traits plays an important role in explaining bio ersity patterns and responses to environmental changes. Although relationships between species composition, their traits, and the environment have been extensively studied on a case-by-case basis, results are variable, and it remains unclear how generalizable these relationships are across ecosystems, taxa and spatial scales. To address this gap, we collated 80 datasets from trait-based studies into a global database for metaCommunity Ecology: Species, Traits, Environment and Space “CESTES”. Each dataset includes four matrices: species community abundances or presences/absences across multiple sites, species trait information, environmental variables and spatial coordinates of the s ling sites. The CESTES database is a live database: it will be maintained and expanded in the future as new datasets become available. By its harmonized structure, and the ersity of ecosystem types, taxonomic groups, and spatial scales it covers, the CESTES database provides an important opportunity for synthetic trait-based research in community ecology.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-12-2016
DOI: 10.1111/REC.12475
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 02-12-2011
DOI: 10.1017/S0030605311000032
Abstract: In recent decades there has been a marked decline in most ortolan bunting Emberiza hortulana populations in temperate Europe, with many regional populations now extinct or on the brink of extinction. In contrast, Mediterranean and, as far as we know, eastern European popula-tions seem to have remained relatively stable. The causes of decline remain unclear but include: habitat loss and degradation, and related reduction in prey availability climate change on the breeding grounds altered population dynamics illegal captures during migration and environmental change in wintering areas. We review the current knowledge of the biology of the ortolan bunting and discuss the proposed causes of decline in relation to the different population trends in temperate and Mediterranean Europe. We suggest new avenues of research to identify the factors limiting ortolan bunting populations. The main evidence-based conservation measure that is likely to enhance habitat quality is the creation of patches of bare ground to produce sparsely vegetated foraging grounds in invertebrate-rich grassy habitats close to breeding areas.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 09-06-2016
DOI: 10.1111/BIJ.12841
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2017
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 11-03-2013
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-07-2015
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-10-2018
DOI: 10.1111/ECOG.04003
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 18-12-2014
DOI: 10.1111/BOJ.12230
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-03-2018
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.12735
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2020
DOI: 10.1002/ECS2.3076
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 04-2019
DOI: 10.1098/RSOS.190153
Abstract: The seasonal migration of huge numbers of hoverflies is frequently reported in Europe from mountain passes or spurs of land. The movement of such large numbers of beneficial insects is thought to provide significant ecosystem services in terms of pollination and pest control. Observations from the East Coast of the USA during the 1920s indicate the presence of migratory life histories among some hoverfly species there, but 90 years have now passed since the last reported observation of hoverfly migration in the USA. Here, we analyse video footage taken during a huge northward migration of hoverflies on 20 April 2017 on the West Coast of California. The quantification of migrant numbers from this footage allows us to estimate the passage of over 100 000 hoverflies in half an hour over a 200 m section of headland in Montaña de Oro State Park (San Luis Obispo County). Field collections and analysis of citizen science data indicate different species from the previously reported Eristalis tenax migrations on the East Coast of the USA and provide evidence for migration among North American hoverflies. We wish to raise awareness of this phenomenon and suggest approaches to advance the study of hoverfly migration in North America and elsewhere.
Publisher: Netherlands Ornithologists' Union
Date: 10-2009
DOI: 10.5253/078.097.0308
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-01-2019
DOI: 10.1111/ECOG.04063
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-07-2023
DOI: 10.1007/S11258-023-01334-0
Abstract: Critical for conserving endangered orchids is identifying their pollinators and their distribution. Caladenia xanthochila is an endangered orchid that has floral traits characteristic of pollination by food foraging insects. We identified the pollinator(s), mechanisms of attraction and the presence of pollinators at natural, existing and potential translocation sites. Furthermore, we quantified pollination success at translocation sites and investigated the effect of rainfall on pollination success over 19 years at a natural site. We clarify if sharing of pollinators occurs with closely related species by comparing the CO1 barcoding region of the pollinators' DNA. Caladenia xanthochila was pollinated by a single species of thynnine wasp, Phymatothynnus aff. nitidus . Caladenia xanthochila produced 27.0 µg ± 7.1 sucrose on the labellum, while pollinators vigorously copulated with glandular clubs on the sepal tips, suggestive of a mixed pollination system. Pollination success of C. xanthochila was 7.6 ± 1.5% SE at the natural site and 16.1 ± 3.6% SE across the translocation sites. Furthermore, hand pollinations demonstrated that pollination was pollen limited. Pollination success was significantly related to average rainfall during the growth phase of the orchid (P 0.001). Potential translocation sites for C. xanthochila were limited, with four of six surveyed lacking the pollinator. We found evidence for cryptic species of Phymatothynnus , with C. xanthochila pollinators being unique amongst the orchids studied. We recommend hand pollinations at translocated and remnant wild populations to boost initial recruitment. The evidence for cryptic species of pollinators further highlights the need for accurate identification of pollinators.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 20-06-2018
Abstract: Migration has evolved among many animal taxa and migratory species are found across all major lineages. Insects are the most abundant and erse terrestrial migrants, with trillions of animals migrating annually. Partial migration, where populations consist of resident and migratory in iduals, is ubiquitous among many taxa. However, the underlying mechanisms are relatively poorly understood and may be driven by physiological, behavioural or genetic variation within populations. We investigated the differences in migratory tendency between migratory and resident phenotypes of the hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus , using tethered flight mills. Further, to test whether migratory flight behaviour is heritable and to disentangle the effects of environment during development, we compared the flight behaviour of laboratory-reared offspring of migrating, overwintering and summer animals. Offspring of migrants initiated more flights than those of resident in iduals. Interestingly, there were no differences among wild-caught phenotypes with regard to number of flights or total flight duration. Low activity in field-collected migrants might be explained by an energy-conserving state that migrants enter into when under laboratory conditions, or a lack of suitable environmental cues for triggering migration. Our results strongly suggest that flight behaviour is heritable and that genetic factors influence migratory tendency in E. balteatus . These findings support the growing evidence that genetic factors play a role in partial migration and warrant careful further investigation.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.TPLANTS.2016.01.001
Abstract: Restoration ecology is a science, driven by practical application. Despite the well-recognized disconnect between the science and practice of ecological restoration, there is a lack of practical solutions. In 2014, US agriculture marked the 100th anniversary of the Cooperative Extension Service, providing a timely reminder that the ide between science and practice can be bridged successfully. Major restoration efforts are underway across the globe and integrated science-practice communication is required to avoid project failure and a significant waste of resources. Here, we propose a three-tiered approach, re-emphasizing the integration of science-based practice in restoration utilizing the structure, function, and potential for success of the Cooperative Extension Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a model for connecting science and practice in ecosystem restoration.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 10-06-2021
DOI: 10.3389/FNBEH.2021.678936
Abstract: Studying the routes flown by long-distance migratory insects comes with the obvious challenge that the animal’s body size and weight is comparably low. This makes it difficult to attach relatively heavy transmitters to these insects in order to monitor their migratory routes (as has been done for instance in several species of migratory birds. However, the rather delicate anatomy of insects can be advantageous for testing their capacity to orient with respect to putative compass cues during indoor experiments under controlled conditions. Almost 20 years ago, Barrie Frost and Henrik Mouritsen developed a flight simulator which enabled them to monitor the heading directions of tethered migratory Monarch butterflies, both indoors and outdoors. The design described in the original paper has been used in many follow-up studies to describe the orientation capacities of mainly diurnal lepidopteran species. Here we present a modification of this flight simulator design that enables studies of nocturnal long-distance migration in moths while allowing controlled magnetic, visual and mechanosensory stimulation. This modified flight simulator has so far been successfully used to study the sensory basis of migration in two European and one Australian migratory noctuid species.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-11-2008
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2020
DOI: 10.1111/ICAD.12408
Abstract: Many insect species are under threat from the anthropogenic drivers of global change. There have been numerous well‐documented ex les of insect population declines and extinctions in the scientific literature, but recent weaker studies making extreme claims of a global crisis have drawn widespread media coverage and brought unprecedented public attention. This spotlight might be a double‐edged sword if the veracity of alarmist insect decline statements do not stand up to close scrutiny. We identify seven key challenges in drawing robust inference about insect population declines: establishment of the historical baseline, representativeness of site selection, robustness of time series trend estimation, mitigation of detection bias effects, and ability to account for potential artefacts of density dependence, phenological shifts and scale‐dependence in extrapolation from s le abundance to population‐level inference. Insect population fluctuations are complex. Greater care is needed when evaluating evidence for population trends and in identifying drivers of those trends. We present guidelines for best‐practise approaches that avoid methodological errors, mitigate potential biases and produce more robust analyses of time series trends. Despite many existing challenges and pitfalls, we present a forward‐looking prospectus for the future of insect population monitoring, highlighting opportunities for more creative exploitation of existing baseline data, technological advances in s ling and novel computational approaches. Entomologists cannot tackle these challenges alone, and it is only through collaboration with citizen scientists, other research scientists in many disciplines, and data analysts that the next generation of researchers will bridge the gap between little bugs and big data.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-03-2019
DOI: 10.1111/ECOG.03995
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 02-2013
Abstract: Gaps in knowledge must be identified, capacities developed, and research translated into policy and practice.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 24-10-2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-09-2009
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.TPLANTS.2010.09.006
Abstract: Ecological restoration of plant-pollinator interactions has received surprisingly little attention, despite animal-mediated pollination underpinning reproduction of the majority of higher plants. Here, we offer a conceptual and practical framework for the ecological restoration of pollination mutualisms. Through the use of targeted restoration plantings to attract and sustain pollinators and increased knowledge of the ecological requirements of pollinators, we propose that pollination could be successfully restored in degraded ecosystems. The challenge for pollination biologists is to integrate their findings with those of plant restoration ecologists to ensure sustainable pollination in restored ecosystems.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.CUB.2019.05.036
Abstract: Despite the fact that migratory insects dominate aerial bioflows in terms of ersity, abundance, and biomass [1-6], the migration patterns of most species, and the effects of their annual fluxes between high- and low-latitude regions, are poorly known. One important group of long-range migrants that remain understudied is a suite of highly beneficial species of hoverfly in the tribe Syrphini, which we collectively term "migrant hoverflies." Adults are key pollinators [7-10] and larvae are significant biocontrol agents of aphid crop pests [11], and thus, it is important to quantify the scale of their migrations and the crucial ecosystem services they provide with respect to energy, nutrient, and biomass transport regulation of crop pests and pollen transfer. Such assessments cannot be made by sporadic observations of mass arrivals at ground level, because hoverflies largely migrate unnoticed high above ground. We used insect-monitoring radars [12] to show that up to 4 billion hoverflies (80 tons of biomass) travel high above southern Britain each year in seasonally adaptive directions. The long-range migrations redistribute tons of essential nutrients (nitrogen [N] and phosphorus [P]) and transport billions of pollen grains between Britain and Europe, and locally produced populations consume 6 trillion aphids and make billions of flower visits. Migrant hoverfly abundance fluctuated greatly between years, but there was no evidence of a population trend during the 10-year study period. Considering that many beneficial insects are seriously declining [7, 10, 13-19], our results demonstrate that migrant hoverflies are key to maintaining essential ecosystem services.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-05-2019
DOI: 10.1002/EAP.1900
Abstract: For the restoration of bio ersity in agricultural grasslands, it is essential to understand how management acts as an ecological filter on the resident species. Mowing constitutes such a filter: only species that possess functional traits enabling them to withstand its consequences can persist in the community. We investigated how the timing of mowing modulates this filtering effect for insects. We predicted that two traits drive species responses. Species with larval development within the meadow vegetation will suffer more from mowing than species whose larvae develop in or on the ground, or outside the meadows, while species with a later phenology should benefit from later mowing. We conducted a five-year experiment, replicated at 12 sites across the Swiss lowlands, applying three different mowing regimes to low-intensity hay meadows: (1) first cut of the year not earlier than 15 June (control regime) (2) the first cut delayed until 15 July and (3) leaving an uncut grass refuge on 10-20% of the meadow area (after earliest first cut on 15 June). Before the first cut in years 4 or 5, we s led larvae of Lepidoptera and sawflies, and adults of moths, parasitoid wasps, wild bees, hoverflies, ground beetles, and rove beetles. Overall, before the first cut of the year, abundances of species with vegetation-dwelling larvae were higher in meadows with delayed mowing or an uncut grass refuge, with some taxon-specific variation. In contrast, species whose larval development is independent of the meadow vegetation showed no differences in abundance between mowing regimes. Species richness did not differ among regimes. For species with vegetation-dwelling larvae, a fourth-corner analysis showed an association between early phenology and the control regime. No associations were found for the other functional groups. Our results show that slight modifications of mowing regimes, easily implementable in agri-environmental policy schemes, can boost invertebrate abundance, potentially benefitting insectivorous vertebrates.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-04-2014
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 17-09-2015
DOI: 10.1111/BOJ.12336
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.CBPA.2015.09.004
Abstract: A typical explanation for ecologically stable strategies that apply to only a proportion of a population, is bet hedging, where increased reproductive success offsets reduced reproductive rate. One such is partial migration, where only a proportion of a population moves seasonally to avoid inclement climatic conditions. Bet hedging may overlook unseen costs to maintain broad physiological resilience, implied by encountering a breadth of environmental conditions. We investigated the physiological correlates of partial migration by measuring standard metabolic rates, and rates of evaporative water loss, and then estimating upper and lower thermal tolerance in males and females of two hoverfly species, Episyrphus balteatus and Eristalis tenax. In central Europe, females of these species may either migrate or overwinter, whereas males may migrate south to the Mediterranean, but have not been found overwintering. Both species were sexually dimorphic female Ep. balteatus were lighter than males, but female Er. tenax were heavier than males. While allometrically- corrected metabolic rate in both species increased with temperature, the most parsimonious models included no sex-specific differences in metabolic rate for either species. Evaporative water loss of both species also increased with temperature, but was higher for females of both species than males. Assuming that resting metabolism is congruent with the activity requirements of migration, highly consistent thermal tolerance and metabolic rate suggests that any given fly could migrate, although water loss patterns suggest that females may be less well-adapted to Mediterranean climates. We infer that partial migration probably results from the imperatives of their reproductive strategies.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 22-09-2021
Abstract: The sun is the most reliable celestial cue for orientation available to daytime migrants. It is widely assumed that diurnal migratory insects use a ‘time-compensated sun compass’ to adjust for the changing position of the sun throughout the day, as demonstrated in some butterfly species. The mechanisms used by other groups of diurnal insect migrants remain to be elucidated. Migratory species of hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) are one of the most abundant and beneficial groups of diurnal migrants, providing multiple ecosystem services and undergoing directed seasonal movements throughout much of the temperate zone. To identify the hoverfly navigational strategy, a flight simulator was used to measure orientation responses of the hoverflies Scaeva pyrastri and Scaeva selenitica to celestial cues during their autumn migration. Hoverflies oriented southwards when they could see the sun and shifted this orientation westward following a 6 h advance of their circadian clocks. Our results demonstrate the use of a time-compensated sun compass as the primary navigational mechanism, consistent with field observations that hoverfly migration occurs predominately under clear and sunny conditions.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-11-2017
DOI: 10.1111/ICAD.12277
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-04-2014
DOI: 10.1111/NPH.12800
Abstract: Sexually deceptive orchids employ floral volatiles to sexually lure their specific pollinators. How and why this pollination system has evolved independently on multiple continents remains unknown, although preadaptation is considered to have been important. Understanding the chemistry of sexual deception is a crucial first step towards solving this mystery. The combination of gas chromatography‐electroantennographic detection ( GC ‐ EAD ), GC ‐ MS , synthesis and field bioassays allowed us to identify the volatiles involved in the interaction between the orchid D rakaea glyptodon and its sexually attracted male thynnine wasp pollinator, Z aspilothynnus trilobatus . Three alkylpyrazines and one novel hydroxymethyl pyrazine were identified as the sex pheromone of Z . trilobatus and are also used by D . glyptodon for pollinator attraction. Given that our findings revealed a new chemical system for plants, we surveyed widely across representative orchid taxa for the presence of these compounds. With one exception, our chemical survey failed to detect pyrazines in related genera. Collectively, no evidence for preadaptation was found. The chemistry of sexual deception is more erse than previously known. Our results suggest that evolutionary novelty may have played a key role in the evolution of sexual deception and highlight the value of investigating unusual pollination systems for advancing our understanding of the role of chemistry in evolution.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 20-05-2020
Abstract: Pollinator declines, changes in land use and climate-induced shifts in phenology have the potential to seriously affect ecosystem function and food security by disrupting pollination services provided by insects. Much of the current research focuses on bees, or groups other insects together as ‘non-bee pollinators’, obscuring the relative contribution of this erse group of organisms. Prominent among the ‘non-bee pollinators’ are the hoverflies, known to visit at least 72% of global food crops, which we estimate to be worth around US$300 billion per year, together with over 70% of animal pollinated wildflowers. In addition, hoverflies provide ecosystem functions not seen in bees, such as crop protection from pests, recycling of organic matter and long-distance pollen transfer. Migratory species, in particular, can be hugely abundant and unlike many insect pollinators, do not yet appear to be in serious decline. In this review, we contrast the roles of hoverflies and bees as pollinators, discuss the need for research and monitoring of different pollinator responses to anthropogenic change and examine emerging research into large populations of migratory hoverflies, the threats they face and how they might be used to improve sustainable agriculture.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.TREE.2021.11.011
Abstract: Space-based tracking technology using low-cost miniature tags is now delivering data on fine-scale animal movement at near-global scale. Linked with remotely sensed environmental data, this offers a biological lens on habitat integrity and connectivity for conservation and human health a global network of animal sentinels of environmental change.
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 12-08-2022
Abstract: Each year, trillions of insects make long-range seasonal migrations. These movements are relatively well understood at a population level, but how in idual insects achieve them remains elusive. Behavioral responses to conditions en route are little studied, primarily owing to the challenges of tracking in idual insects. Using a light aircraft and in idual radio tracking, we show that nocturnally migrating death’s-head hawkmoths maintain control of their flight trajectories over long distances. The moths did not just fly with favorable tailwinds during a given night, they also adjusted for head and crosswinds to precisely hold course. This behavior indicates that the moths use a sophisticated internal compass to maintain seasonally beneficial migratory trajectories independent of wind conditions, illuminating how insects traverse long distances to take advantage of seasonal resources.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 06-05-2022
DOI: 10.1071/BT21132
Abstract: Context Conservation translocations are increasingly being used in the management of rare plants, yet have low success in maintaining populations through recruitment. Aims We investigated whether the survival of translocated plants, recruitment and, therefore, cost effectiveness, can be improved by selecting optimal microsites for both adults and seedlings. Methods Caladenia colorata plants propagated symbiotically with Serendipita australiana (n = 735) were introduced to four sites where the pollinator was present and vegetation matched wild populations. Plant demography was monitored over 6 years. The relationship between microsite variables and measures of orchid survival, re-emergence, flowering and recruitment were analysed with generalised linear mixed-effects models. We then estimated potential improvement in emergence and recruitment, if microsite selection was optimised. Key results A total of 77% of plants survived translocation, and populations grew by 84% through recruitment (n = 615). Survival was positively associated with cover of leaf litter, graminoids and cryptogams. Recruitment was positively correlated with soil moisture. The majority of recruitment was within 5 cm of adult C. colorata plants. The potential improvement by selecting favourable microsites increased adult survival by up to 8% and recruitment by 10–40%. Conclusions Incorporating both the germination niche and adult plant niche within plant translocations more broadly could significantly improve long-term population persistence and the utilisation of conservation funding. Implications Our results are directly applicable to 58 endangered Caladenia species in the subgenus Calonema, owing to their shared mycorrhizal association with S. australiana. Furthermore, our results are applicable to all plant translocations as understanding germination niche and microhabitat requirements is likely to improve success overall.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 28-06-2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-08-2018
DOI: 10.1002/RSE2.94
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2022
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2017
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 03-06-2020
Abstract: Large migrating insects, flying at high altitude, often exhibit complex behaviour. They frequently elect to fly on winds with directions quite different from the prevailing direction, and they show a degree of common orientation, both of which facilitate transport in seasonally beneficial directions. Much less is known about the migration behaviour of smaller (10–70 mg) insects. To address this issue, we used radar to examine the high-altitude flight of hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae), a group of day-active, medium-sized insects commonly migrating over the UK. We found that autumn migrants, which must move south, did indeed show migration timings and orientation responses that would take them in this direction, despite the unfavourability of the prevailing winds. Evidently, these hoverfly migrants must have a compass (probably a time-compensated solar mechanism), and a means of sensing the wind direction (which may be determined with sufficient accuracy at ground level, before take-off). By contrast, hoverflies arriving in the UK in spring showed weaker orientation tendencies, and did not correct for wind drift away from their seasonally adaptive direction (northwards). However, the spring migrants necessarily come from the south (on warm southerly winds), so we surmise that complex orientation behaviour may not be so crucial for the spring movements.
Start Date: 2023
End Date: 12-2027
Amount: $5,000,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
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