Research
We study sensory system adaptations that support highly specialised behaviours in disease-transmitting tsetse flies. These flies have evolved live birth (adenotrophic viviparity): instead of laying eggs, the larva develops inside the mother’s uterus and feeds on milk secreted from modified accessory glands. However, despite these dramatic developmental and physiological changes, the behavioural, sensory and integrative neural system adaptations to viviparity remain poorly understood. We investigate the biological basis of these fascinating behavioural specialisations by creatively combining classical and state-of-the-art methods, including behavioural analysis, neuroanatomy, electrophysiology, and transcriptomics.
Recent papers
2026
The Sensory Ecology of Tsetse Flies: Neuroscience Perspectives on a Disease Vector
European Journal of Neuroscience
·
01 Jan 2026
·
doi:10.1111/ejn.70377
2025
The evolution of lepidopteran brain morphology
Journal of Comparative Physiology A
·
22 Dec 2025
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doi:10.1007/s00359-025-01787-w
Bogong moths use a stellar compass for long-distance navigation at night
Nature
·
18 Jun 2025
·
doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09135-3
2023
Tsetse flies (
Glossina morsitans morsitans
) choose birthing sites guided by substrate cues with no evidence for a role of pheromones
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
·
26 Apr 2023
·
doi:10.1098/rspb.2023.0030