My research is focussed on the behavioural ecology of spiders. I study predator-prey interactions in spiders under various contexts. Currently I am working on the anti-predator response of tephritid flies to jumping spiders. I am evaluating the efficacy of flies that are reared as part of the Sterile Insect Technique in evading their spider predators.

Previous Work

For my PhD at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, I focussed on insect response to web decorations in Argiope keyserlingi. Many spiders affix their webs with highly visible extra silk structures. These decorations have been subject to sustained investigation for over a hundred years, but their functional significance is still debated. By using a series of experiments using free flying bees, I tested the response of insects to decorations.

    I have previously worked on colonial spiders in Israel, looking at the factors favouring group living in an extreme desert ecosystem.