Passionate researcher, entomologist, and teacher with 5+ years of undergraduate teaching.
I have many areas of interest that include entomology, systematics, behavioural ecology, wildlife management, conservation biology and the impacts of climate change on our biodiversity.
I seek to achieve a career in taxonomy and museum curatorship and have skills in both traditional morphological identification and current molecular phylogenetic analysis.
Current Work
Variation in Warning Signals in an Australian diurnal moth
My PhD research looks at what factors might be influencing variable warning signals in Amata nigriceps wasp moths. My thesis includes:
Historical variation using 120yrs of museum collections and contemporary variation using fresh specimens
How temperature during larval rearing affects signal expression in adult moths
Sexual dimorphism and differences in toxicity and chemical defences between female and male moths
How season and environmental background complexity influences survival of aposematic prey
Intergrated systematics and taxonomy of Amata nigriceps
Probiotics in honey bees to fight bacterial and fungal pathogens
I'm the Research Officer for a collaborative project with Macquarie University and Hort Innovation Australia. Our research team includes insect and microbiology experts, working to create a broad-spectrum probiotic to help honeybees increase resistance to common hive pathogens, such as chalkbrood and foulbrood.
With 65% of Australian agricultural crops dependent on pollination for success, strong honeybee health means strong food security for all Australians!
Find out more here: https://sites.google.com/view/aussiepollinatorhealth
Resolving the iconic yet cryptic genus of Amata (Erebidae: Arctiinae: Syntomiini) in Australia
I'm really keen to to a systematic resolution of the Amata genus in Australia - the first Australian Amata was described in 1775, and we still don't have a clear idea of who they all are!
There are currently 69 descriptions of Amata moths around the country, that fall under 39 defined species and it's super hard to identify most of them.
A genus revision will involve integrated systematics of all the species, which includes morphological descriptions, combined with genetic species delimitations.
How can genital dissections be used to understand Australian moth biodiversity? Find out how here: https://sites.google.com/view/aussieamatamoths/home
Wanna chat moths or bees?
Get in touch at georgina.binns@mq.edu.au
Publications
Binns et al. (2022). Additive genetic variation, but not temperature, influences warning signal expression in Amata nigriceps moths (Lepidoptera: Arctiinae). Ecology and Evolution, 12(7). https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9111
Hämäläinen, Binns et al. (2023). Predator selection on multicomponent warning signals in an aposematic moth. Behavioral Ecology, arad097, https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arad097