Research
Pollinator foraging behaviour
Pollinators are essential for various types of fruit and other crop production. We work with Botanists to create and manage enclosed floral environments to understand how floral diversity affect pollination efficacy, bee health, and colony fitness.
Wasp colony behaviour
Wasps have a bad reputation – probably due to their aggressive response when the colony is disturbed. We have been investigating this response and find that not all colonies attack with the same level of ferocity. In fact, some colonies barely respond when we disturb them. We’re investigating ecological, physiological, and genomic factors that might explain this variation in colony phenotype.
Is it a bee?
Most people can recognize a bumble bee or honey bee, but the world is full of so many other bees that often go unnoticed or mistaken for small flies. These bees are also important pollinators, but can be difficult to manage, require undisturbed soil or structure to construct their nests, and need lots of flowers nearby. We have designed a game to challenge people on their ability to distinguish a bee from other types of insects that are also found on flowers. One our goals is to encourage citizen science through the use of iNaturalist.nz – an excellent tool when investigating the critters in your own backyard.
What’s the Buzz?
About Me (Jenny Jandt)
I’m a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Zoology at the University of Otago. For more information on what I teach, you can find it on my department faculty page.
Contact Info
E-mail: jenny.jandt@otago.ac.nz
Postal: P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054
Street: 340 Great King Street, Dunedin 9016
Follow on Social Media: @TheWaspLady
Jandt Lab 