The beet generation: population genetics and ecology of sugar beet leaf miners (SPURGIN_U17ICASE)

Pests and invasive species make excellent models for understanding population dynamics, population ecology and evolutionary adaptation. Insight into these key processes is also essential for effective pest management. This studentship will use a combination of ecological fieldwork, molecular genetics and statistical modelling to understand the population dynamics of a serious UK pest of sugar beet: the mangold fly - aka beet leaf miner.

The key objectives to be addressed are: (i) identification, via UK fieldwork, of mangold fly range and key ecological factors that favour its spread, (ii) development of molecular tools for species identification (iii) population genetic analyses infer patterns of migration and demography within and among farms, and (iv) controlled experiments to study the life history of this species in relation to its crop host

The studentship has potential to gain new insights into population ecology and directly translate these findings to benefit the UK farming community.