PhD Students

Whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a serious global pest and plant-virus vector, affecting a wide range of agricultural and horticultural crops, ornamental plants and weed species. Bemisia tabaci is a cryptic species complex with morphologically identical, but biologically and genetically distinct species.

 

Therefore, my PhD project focuses on the species status and ecology of whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) in Australia, by examining the mating behaviour, gene flow, and host use characteristics. The outcomes of this research will contribute to improved quarantine, biosecurity and integrated pest management (IPM) strategies for the improved exclusion and management of these pests in Australia.

 

Before joining the Walter lab, I worked in the Department of Agriculture in Thailand. My research focused on key pests on fruit trees and some economic plants and control measure emphasis integrated pest management which made me more interested in insect ecology.