Students and Collaborators
The Jandt Lab is comprised of students at the University of Otago as well as students and colleagues working with me on projects throughout the U.S. If you’re interested in studying social insects and/or insect behavioural ecology in New Zealand, please email me your CV, relevant experience, and what types of questions you are interested in investigating. The University of Otago has a number of funding opportunities for post-graduate studies and research, so check that out too.
Students in Action
Current PhD Students
Greer Sanger is an PhD student in Zoology. She is investigating the ecology of NZ Red Admiral (Vanessa gonerilla) on native and non-native stinging nettle host plants (Urtica spp).
Emma Curtin is a PhD student in Zoology, studying introduced dung beetles. She is measuring the effects of these dung beetles on soil structure and permeability, and other aspects of their effects on agriculture.
Emma was also the founder of the Otago Entomology Society in 2019.
Current MSc Students
Winter Miller is an MSc student in Zoology. She will be investigating bumble bee foraging behaviour.
Previous Students
Luna Thomas is a PhD student in Zoology, studying morphometrics, population distribution, and behaviour of the endemic Helm’s stag beetle (Geodorcus helmsi).
Luna currently serves as Vice President for the Otago Entomology Society.
Mateus Detoni finished his PhD thesis (Zoology) in 2021 studying the agression behaviour and transcriptomics of Vespula vulgaris invasive wasps. He also served as the Treasurer for the Otago Entomology Societybetween 2019 and 2020.
Mateus currently acts as an insect behaviour researcher at Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research in New Zealand. You can follow him on Twitter @detoni_mateus
Connal McLean is an MSc student in Zoology. He is investigating learning and memory in bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) raised in different environments.
Melita Busch is a Master’s student in Zoology. She is fascinated in insect behaviour and her main interest is looking at division of labour and task performance in social insects. Currently, she is researching the foraging and defensive behaviour of the common wasp, Vespula vulgaris, and how this relates to their physiology.
You can follow Melita on Twitter @entomelita.
Eloise Lancaster finished her Master’s thesis (Ecology) in 2022 studying the reproductive and chemical ecology of Monomorium antarcticum, NZ Southern ants. She also served as the Secretary for the Otago Entomology Society in 2021.
Eloise currently works as a Senior Entomologist Technician for Plant Health and Environment Laboratory (PHEL) of the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI). You can follow her on Twitter @ecologyeloise
Jessica Chen finished her Master’s thesis (Zoology) in 2020 on the invertebrate biodiversity of the Orokonui Ecosanctuary, in particular the functional and endemic biodiversity of soil invertebrates. Jessica has a love for all living creatures, even the creepy ones!
Jessica is an amazing artist (she designed our lab logo!) and currently works as an entomological research assistant for DoC.
Jake Tully finished his Master’s thesis (Zoology) in 2020 on flower constancy in bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) in a semi-natural environment, and to determine whether/how this behaviour may have been important in the sympatric speciation of plants.
Rachel Terlinden finished her Master’s thesis (Zoology) in 2019 on bumble bee diurnal foraging patterns, and whether they remain consistent for individual bees over time, with a particular interest in how individual characteristics can influence this, such as body size.
Georgia McCombe graduated with her Bachelor’s in 2017, and worked as a research assistant on bumble bees in 2018.
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