ESEG_A new frontier: Predictive models of insect foraging behaviour on plants
Abstract
Understanding caterpillar movement over the surface of plants is central to many novel research fields eg GM plants resistant to insect attack. Our research program uses an experimental program and computational science techniques to explore how caterpillars interact with changing plant architecture chemistry micro-environment and the third trophic level or predators. This will be a world first and provides a set of tools that will form the cornerstone of future research agendas in spatial ecology of foraging caterpillars optimisation experiments for spray application and development of novel GM crops for insect control central to the future of Australian agriculture
