- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Marine and fisheries research
- Insect Resistance and Genetics
- Study of Mite Species
- Plant Virus Research Studies
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Insect Pest Control Strategies
- Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies
- Marine Biology and Environmental Chemistry
- Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Pesticide Residue Analysis and Safety
- Plant and animal studies
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Crustacean biology and ecology
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Malaria Research and Control
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
The University of Melbourne
2020-2025
The University of Queensland
2015-2023
University of Canterbury
2020
Cawthron Institute
2012
Despite the popularity of discriminant analysis principal components (DAPC) for studying population structure, there has been little discussion best practice this method. In work, I provide guidelines standardizing application DAPC to genotype data sets. An often overlooked fact is that generates a model describing genetic differences among set populations defined by researcher. Appropriate parameterization critical obtaining biologically meaningful results. show number leading PC axes used...
Genomic studies are uncovering extensive cryptic diversity within reef-building corals, suggesting that evolutionarily and ecologically relevant is highly underestimated in the very organisms structure coral reefs. Furthermore, endosymbiotic algae host species can confer adaptive responses to environmental stress may represent additional axes of genetic variation not constrained by taxonomic divergence cnidarian host. Here, we examine a common widespread, coral, Acropora tenuis, its...
Summary Related plants are often hypothesized to interact with similar sets of pollinators and herbivores, but this idea has only mixed empirical support. This may be because plant families vary in their tendency share interaction partners. We quantify overlap partners for all pairs 59 pollination 11 herbivory networks based on the numbers shared unshared (thereby capturing both proportional absolute overlap). test relationships between phylogenetic distance partner within each network;...
Koala retrovirus (KoRV) is a recently endogenized associated with neoplasia and immunosuppression in koala populations. The virus known to display sequence variability be present at varying prevalence different populations, animals southern Australia displaying lower viral loads than northern animals. This study used PCR next-generation sequencing strategy examine the diversity of KoRV env gene both proviral DNA RNA forms two distinct populations representative 'northern' 'southern'...
Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea) are economically important crop pests worldwide. Because of growing issues with insecticide resistance and environmental contamination by insecticides, alternate methods being explored to provide aphid control. contain endosymbiotic bacteria that affect host fitness could be targeted as potential biocontrol agents, but such novel strategies should not impact the effectiveness traditional chemical In this work, we used a endosymbiont transinfection examine...
Non-target effects of insecticides used in agriculture can impact the ecosystem services provided by beneficial insects. Understanding broader chemical usage requires multi-species investigations on different insecticide active ingredients. In this work, we tested utility coated vials as a quick, cheap, and efficient dried residue toxicity assay. This method was compared against dishes sprayed with Potter tower, which is an industry standard instrument to apply precise doses. Our study...
Abstract Parasitoid wasps are important biocontrol agents for agricultural pests, with increasing demand their use in sustainable pest management practices. Endosymbiotic bacteria of parasitoid can have a range fitness effects on insect hosts, and these could be manipulated to enhance commercial stocks. Here, we characterized the diversity distribution key endosymbiont species parasitoids that Australian agriculture. In total, screened 12 field-collected aphid parasitoids, 32 lepidopteran 11...
The genetic basis of pesticide resistance has been widely studied, but the exact nature this evolutionary process in field is often unclear, particularly when a limited number populations considered and there lag between event its investigation. We showed that an unprecedented recurrently evolved mutations drive rapid evolution notorious pest, two-spotted spider mite, to recently commercialized acaricide, cyetpyrafen. first observed high levels appeared became widespread within few years....
The genetic basis of pesticide resistance has been widely studied, but the exact nature this evolutionary process in field is often unclear, particularly when a limited number populations considered and there lag between event its investigation. We showed that an unprecedented recurrently evolved mutations drive rapid evolution notorious pest, two-spotted spider mite, to recently commercialized acaricide, cyetpyrafen. first observed high levels appeared became widespread within few years....
The barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) of cereals is thought to substantially increase the high-temperature tolerance its aphid vector, Rhopalosiphum padi, which may enhance transmission efficiency. This based on experiments with North American strains BYDV and R. padi. Here, we independently test these by measuring temperature tolerance, via Critical Thermal Maximum (CTmax) knockdown time, Australian padi infected a local isolate. We further consider interaction between transmission, primary...
Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene sequencing (DNA barcoding) of Ciona specimens from New Zealand (NZ) led to the first record solitary ascidian savignyi in Southern Hemisphere.We sought quantify C. COI genetic diversity around NZ archipelago and compare this with within savignyi's native range north-west Pacific.Ciona were collected two sites three Japan.COI sequences (595 bp) amplified measures calculated.Based on differences between their we developed a PCR-based assay...
Abstract Complex life cycles may evolve to dissociate distinct developmental phases in an organism's lifetime. However, genetic or environmental factors restrict trait independence across stages, constraining ontogenetic trajectories. Quantifying covariance stages and their temporal variability is fundamental understanding life‐history phenotypes potential distributions consequences for selection. We studied constraints intertidal fish ( Bathygobius cocosensis : Gobiidae) with a discrete...
Abstract Insecticides are important for chemical control of arthropod pests in agricultural systems but select resistance as an adaptive trait. Identifying the genetic mechanism(s) underpinning can facilitate development markers, which be used monitoring programs. Moreover, understanding mechanisms a broader population context to infer origins resistance, predict dynamics evolution and evaluate efficacy different management strategies. Transitioning information successfully into practical...
Abstract Genomic data provide valuable insights into pest management issues such as resistance evolution, historical patterns of invasions and ongoing population dynamics. We assembled the first reference genome for redlegged earth mite, Halotydeus destructor (Tucker, 1925), to investigate adaptation pesticide pressures demography in its invasive Australian range using whole‐genome pool‐seq from regionally distributed populations. Our comprises 132 autosomal contigs, with a total length...
Abstract The interaction between granivorous scatterhoarding mammals and plants is a conditional mutualism: scatterhoarders consume seeds (acting as predators), but the movement of seed by may contribute to dispersal mutualists). Understanding ecological factors that shape this relationship highly relevant in anthropogenically disturbed tropical forests where large‐bodied frugivores are extirpated. In such forests, large‐seeded trees once depended on these for now only have prospective...
Quantifying how chemical tolerance of pest arthropods varies with temperature is important for understanding the outcomes control, measuring and monitoring resistance, predicting pesticide resistance will evolve under future climate change. We studied redlegged earth mite, Halotydeus destructor (Tucker), a winter-active invasive agricultural in Australia. Using replicated block experiment, we tested effect different thermal conditions on expression to pyrethroid two organophosphates. Our...
Abstract Chemical resistance in pest organisms threatens global food security and human health, yet issues are mostly dealt with reactively. Predictive models of risk provide an avenue for field practitioners to implement proactive management but require knowledge factors that drive evolution. Despite the importance chemical selection pressure on evolution, poor availability usage data has limited use a general multi-species measure predictive models. We demonstrate pesticide product...
Abstract Evolution of Buchnera –aphid host symbioses is often studied among species at macroevolutionary scales. Investigations within offer a different perspective about how eco‐evolutionary processes shape patterns genetic variation microevolutionary Our study leverages new and publicly available whole‐genome sequencing data to evolution in Myzus persicae , the peach potato aphid, globally invasive polyphagous pest. Across 43 asexual, clonally reproducing isofemale strains, we examined...
MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout JournalEditorsTheme Sections 633:197-206 (2020) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13179 When isotopes fail: importance of satellite telemetry and multi-site validation when estimating foraging grounds migratory species O. I. Coffee1,*, D. T. Booth1, J. A. Thia1, C. Limpus2 1The University Queensland, School Biological Sciences, St...
ABSTRACT Turning SNP data into biologically meaningful results requires considerable computational acrobatics, including importing, exporting, and manipulating among different analytical packages programming environments, finding ways to visualise for exploration presentation. I present GENOMALICIOUS, an R package designed provide a selection of functions population genomicists simply, intuitively, flexibly, guide through their pipelines, within outside R. At the core original GENOMALICIOUS...