Research

I have completed both an undergraduate degree and masters by research at Bristol and remained here on a PhD in Behavioural Ecology. Supervised by Dr Stephen Montgomery, I am investigating the ecological and genetic drivers which promote the evolution of grouping behaviour in butterfly larvae.

Biography

Early in my Biology BSc I became fascinated with the questions surrounding the evolution of warning colouration in prey, particularly insects. Pursuing this interest, I turned my attention to the aposematic cinnabar moth larva for my masters study. Supervised by Professors Innes Cuthill and Nick Scott-Samuel, I found that the caterpillar’s toxic host plant may act as an extended phenotype to enhance its protection against predators. I also have an amateur interest in macro photography (because insects are gorgeous and up close they are even better!), with some of my images being displayed in the Life Sciences Building teaching labs.

Publications