LOC Committee

I am an entomologist trained at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. I did my masters thesis on the effects of temperature on the biological control of water hyacinth, Pontederia crassipes, and its biocontrol agents. Since 2008, I have been based at the Agricultural Research Council – Plant Health and Protection (Pretoria, South Africa), specialising in weed biological control. I have worked on projects to control the invasive plants Dolichandra ungis-cati (cat’s claw creeper), Biancaea decapetala (Mauritius thorn) and Solanum elaeagnifolium (satansbos), incorporating pre-release studies through to post-release evaluation and implementation. I also manage the maintenance, day-to-day activities and compliance of the Weeds Research and Plant Microbiology Division quarantine facilities. My research focus widened in 2021 to include studies towards the initiation of a biological control programme on the macadamia felted coccid, Acanthococcus ironsidei, in South Africa through the introduction of host-specific parasitoids such as Metaphycus macadamiae.