New publications
Nigel has two chapters published in newly released book
The Balance of Nature and Human Impact
Edited by: Klaus Rohde
21. Population dynamics of insects: impacts of a changing climate Nigel Andrew
27. How to conserve biodiversity in a nonequilibrium world Klaus Rohde, Hugh Ford, Nigel R. Andrew and Harold Heatwole
Melissa’s paper now fully published
Danks, M., Lebel, T., Vernes, K. & Andrew, N.R. (2013) Truffle-like (sequestrate) fungi sporocarps in a eucalypt-dominated landscape: patterns in diversity and community structure Fungal Ecology, 58, 143-157.
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs13225-012-0193-6
January Lab Update
Isobel Roberts is working with psyllid interactions(Acizzia) with their host plants (Acacia). She is currently in the process of beginning germination of the Acacia species she selected for her PhD. Acacia longifolia, A. falcata and A. triptera are the three species of which she obtained seed for and have been endeavouring to germinate. Outside of the germination experiment, Isobel has been preparing a set of methods for an analysis of Acacia volatiles. Plants that have been established upon the University grounds will be used in this study of basic volatile emission. Herbivore damage will then be simulated and volatile type and concentration determined. This experiment will hopefully be able to be underway by mid-January.
Michelle Yates recently met with Michael Batley and Dave Britton (Australian Museum) to get her flower visitor specimens identified from the 2012 field season. She also attended the Ento Soc meeting in Hobart, November and gave a presentation on her PhD work from 2010-2011. She is now writing her thesis and preparing various papers for publication.
Nigel Andrew has been attended a variety of meetings including the Australian Entomological Society (Hobart), Australian Ecology Society (Melbourne), CSIRO OCE Cutting Edge Symposium: Integrating Systems Biology and Network Science with the Rich Data of the CSIRO National Biological Collections (Canberra), Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (San Francisco), and Southern Connections (Dunedin in late January). Nigel is now also President-elect of the Ecological Society of Australia.
Nigel at SICB
Nigel is attending the
The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) Annual Meeting 2013
January 3-7, 2013
San Francisco, CA
Hilton San Francisco Union Square
http://www.sicb.org/meetings/2013/
He is giving a talk tomorrow titled
Can temperate insects take the heat? Physiological and behavioural responses to high temperature in Iridomyrmex purpureus (meat ants) with potential climate change
New publication for lab – 4 hours into 2013!
A great way for 2013 to start.
“Assessing insect responses to climate change: What are we testing for? Where should we be heading?” (#2012:10:11:1:0:REVIEW), has been accepted for publication.
NIGEL R. ANDREW, SARAH J. HILL, MATTHEW BINNS, MD HABIBULLAH. BAHAR, EMMA V. RIDLEY, MYUNG-PYO JUNG, CHRIS FYFE, MICHELLE YATES, AND MOHAMMAD KHUSRO
Chanthy’s Frontiers publication now online
The effects of thermal acclimation on lethal temperatures and critical thermal limits in the green vegetable bug, Nezara viridula (L.) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), by Pol Chanthy, Robert J Martin, Robin V Gunning, Nigel Andrew, published in Frontiers in Invertebrate Physiology.
Insect Ecology lab talks at the UNE Zoology research day
The Insect Ecology Lab was part of the UNE Zoology Research Day to showcase the research being carried out in Zoology@UNE
The day’s research theme was called “What you do in Zoo?”
Talks from the lab included included
Matt Binns Examining the influence of climate on Thysanoptera community composition and morphology
Michelle Yates Parasitoid and pollinator services within an agro-ecosystem in NSW
Isobel Roberts Plant-Insect Interactions: Volatile mediated communication
Sandia Wong Patterns of ant species richness along an elevation gradient in the Gwydir catchment
Zac Hemmings Thermal tolerance in ants
Graham Hall Quail management in Australia – the great unknown
Nigel Andrew Testing insect responses to climate change: can they be predicted across time, space and taxa?
Former lab members, Minh, Rachel and Nereda also turned up for the Zoology Christmas lunch post talks.
Ecological Society of Australia conference
Sandia, Matt and Nigel are presenting their research as ESA in Melbourne this week.
Sandia was giving out lots of stickers at the poster and wine night for her poster Ant community composition along the Gwydir catchment elevational gradient
Matt is talking on Tuesday about some of his PhD research Predicting the effect of climate change on community structure and function: an assessment using grassland Thysanoptera
Nigel is talking on Thursday about Insect responses to climate change: what are we testing for? Where are we heading?
New Lab publication
Andrew, N.R., Roberts, I. & Hill, S.J. (2012) Insect herbivory along environmental gradients. Open Journal of Ecology, 2, 202-213.
http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?paperID=24581
New Phytologist manuscript just accepted
Nigel is part of a consortium led by Angela Moles who just got a second paper accepted in to New Phytologist
Correlations between physical and chemical defences in plants: Trade-offs, syndromes, or just many different ways to skin a herbivorous cat?