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Study Systems

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Burying beetles
(Nicrophorus vespilloides) 

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Burying beetles breed on small animal carcasses and feed their offspring with with regurgitated carrion. These complex parental care behaviours make them an excellent system for studying flexible behaviour and life-history strategies.

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Pacific field crickets (Teleogryllus oceanicus) 
 

Male crickets chirp with their wings to attract females but, in Hawai'i, a deadly eavesdropping parasitoid has lead to the spread of a male morph that is totally silent. This silent morph presents a unique opportunity to study evolution in action and address questions about behaviour and life-history.

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Meta-analyses 

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As well as experimental work with insects I also use meta-analytical methods to address broad questions in animal behaviour and evolution

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Lava crickets
(Caconemobius fori) 
 

These tiny, wingless crickets live on  lava fields in Hawai'i. This hot, dry, barren environment is one of the most extreme on Earth. How does the behaviour of lava crickets help them make a living on lava? 

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