Madeleine Pienaar

Masters Student

Supervisor: Prof. John S. Terblanche

My master’s thesis will focus on the dispersal ecology of the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (Euwallacea fornicatus), an invasive beetle threatening various tree species in South Africa.

We aim to determine how temperature and beetle density influence this species’ movement and flight performance. We will further investigate whether the microhabitat of these beetles – excavated galleries within host trees – provides insulation from external environmental temperatures, by measuring the difference in temperature between these areas.