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 Postgraduate Projects Available

Third year to honours  Predicting potential range and abundance of invading species
  How well can we "predict" the range and abundance of species that have recently established in new geographic locations?



Third year to honours  Metapopulation dynamics and the matrix revisited
  Do butterflies use the matrix or is it just treacherous landscape?



Third year to honours  Is there empty suitable habitat for plant feeding insects?
  Ever wonder why there is so much greenery that is seemingly not eaten by insect herbivores? Is the food simply not suitable or is it not used for other reasons?



Third year to honours  Pollen feeding in adult Lepidoptera: getting a nitrogen fix
  Many adult butterflies and moths have pollen adhering to their mouth parts. Are they able to utilise the pollen as a food source?



Third year to honours  Caterpillar foraging when predators are around
  Do caterpillars adjust there feeding behaviour in response to the presence of predators?



Third year to honours  Egg size and survival of first instar caterpillars on host plant
  Species within the Lepidoptera lay eggs of different sizes. Generally the bigger the butterfly the bigger the egg, but not always. Is the survival of neonates on host plants related to initial egg size.



Third year to honours  Optimal foraging in Lepidopteran larvae - or sabotaging the right meal size
  Caterpillars of the milkweed butterflies have to first sabotage the latex based defense system of their host plant before they can feed. Is the area isolated by vein snipping and trenching behaviour sufficient for a caterpillar to complete an instar?



Third year to honours  Food utilization efficiency in neonates of a polyphagous caterpillar
  Newly hatched caterpillars are a critical stage in the life cycle of butterflies and moths. Yet few studies have assessed how well first instars convert food intake into body mass.