People_
Associate Professor Tanya Latty
Research and Teaching Fellow in Entomology
School of Life and Environmental Sciences
School of Life and Environmental Sciences
Phone
+61 2 9351 4361
Address
A08 - Heydon-Laurence Building
The University of Sydney
Details
Member of Sydney Institute of Agriculture
Tanya Latty is an entomologist with a special interest in insect behaviour and ecology. She has a Bsc in Biology and Environmental Science from Trent University (Canada), and a PhD in insect ecology from the University of Calgary (Canada). Her highly interdisciplinary work involves local and international collaborations with researchers in a broad range of fields including mathematics, computer science, forestry and operations research.
Tanya Latty’s work focuses around three themes:
- Collective behaviour and swarm intelligence. Ants, bees and slime moulds are capable of achieving amazing feats of problem solving despite having small, or in the case of the slime moulds, no brains. How do they accomplish this? Understanding how simple systems solve complex problems can lead to the development of new bio-inspired technologies and computer algorithms. As such, Tanya works closely with mathematicians, computer scientists and operations researchers to apply what she learns from nature toward solving some of our most difficult technological problems.
- The ecology and behaviour of Australian native bees. Australia is home to at least 1600 species of native bee, yet we know almost nothing about the ecology and behaviour of the majority of species. Tanya is particularly interested in the potential role of native bees as alternative/supplementary pollinators in both rural and urban agricultural settings.
- Integrated pest management. Understanding the behaviour and ecology of pest insects allows for the development of novel, sustainable management strategies. Tanya is particularly interested in the behaviour and ecology of social and semi-social pest insects.
Tanya teaches the undergraduate unit in entomology (ENTO2001).
Problem solving in slime moulds:Slime moulds are giant unicellular amoebas. Despite lacking a brain, these bizarre organisms are capable of complex problem solving. We have found that slime moulds are capable of balancing risk and food quality, adjusting their search strategies and balancing their nutritional uptake. I am broadly interested in exploring the behaviour of these organisms in more detail.
Dynamic problem solving in ants and slime moulds:The goal of this project is to understand how self-organized natural systems are able to solve problems under changing conditions. I aim to examine the mechanisms that allow these types of decisions to be made in two different decentralized systems: ant colonies and slime moulds. This is part of an international collaboration between the labs of Dr. Madeleine Beekman, Dr. Martin Middendorf, Dr. David Sumpter and Dr. Toshi Nakagaki.
Self-organised transportation networks in ants and slime moulds:I am interested in the structure, function and development of ant transportation networks. Human engineers and urban planners face the task of designing efficient and cost effective networks. Since building longer roads/tracks requires more resources (and is therefore more costly), a challenge for engineers is to design transportation networks that minimise resource use while still maintaining connectivity between cities, stations etc. Similar problems are faced by ant colonies which build trail networks to connect multiple nests to many food sources. How do ants 'design' transportation networks in the absence of centralised control? What, if anything, do ants optimise when building networks? This work is done in close collaboration with computer scientist Kai Ramsch at the University of Leipzig. In addition to these main projects, I have also worked on a number of organisms including: bark beetles, honey bees, banana slugs, Laricobius nigrinius, and flour beetles.
Ecology and Conservation of Australian Native Bees: Australia is home to 1600+ species of native bee and we know almost nothing about their behaviour and ecology. My research on native bees falls into three main areas: the urban ecology of native bees, developing techniues for increasing native bee abundance and diversity in agricultural areas, and investigating the behavioural ecology of native bees.
Agronomy, horticulture and precision agriculture, Animal behavior and ecophysiology, Ecology and Evolution, Environment
| Project title | Research student |
|---|---|
| The Origins and Dynamics of Invertebrate Sociality | Kristin HUBAKK |
| Information use and decision-making in jumping spiders | Rui SHI |
Publications
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Book Chapters
- Latty, T., Threlfall, C. (2016). Urban Bee Ecology. In David Brouwer (Eds.), Australian native bees, (pp. 45-55). Paterson: NSW Department of Primary Industries.
Journals
- McCormick, J., White, T., Middleton, E., Latty, T. (2024). Information cascades spread adaptive and maladaptive behaviours in group-living animals. Animal Behaviour, 209, 53-62. [More Information]
- Mastretta-Yanes, A., Jordan, R., Mergeay, J., Paz-Vinas, I., Rincon-Parra, V., Rodriguez-Morales, M., Arredondo-Amezcua, L., Brahy, G., DeSaix, M., Durkee, L., Latty, T., Grueber, C., Shea, G., et al (2024). Multinational evaluation of genetic diversity indicators for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Ecology Letters, 27(7), e14461. [More Information]
- McDougall, R., Kristiansen, P., Latty, T., Rader, R. (2024). Vertebrates and flying insects provide biocontrol services to Australian urban food gardens. BioControl. [More Information]
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2024
- McCormick, J., White, T., Middleton, E., Latty, T. (2024). Information cascades spread adaptive and maladaptive behaviours in group-living animals. Animal Behaviour, 209, 53-62. [More Information]
- Mastretta-Yanes, A., Jordan, R., Mergeay, J., Paz-Vinas, I., Rincon-Parra, V., Rodriguez-Morales, M., Arredondo-Amezcua, L., Brahy, G., DeSaix, M., Durkee, L., Latty, T., Grueber, C., Shea, G., et al (2024). Multinational evaluation of genetic diversity indicators for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Ecology Letters, 27(7), e14461. [More Information]
- McDougall, R., Kristiansen, P., Latty, T., Rader, R. (2024). Vertebrates and flying insects provide biocontrol services to Australian urban food gardens. BioControl. [More Information]
2023
- Dunn, L., Latty, T., Van Ogtrop, F., Tan, D. (2023). Cambodian rice farmers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) regarding insect pest management and pesticide use. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 21(1), 2178804-1-2178804-16. [More Information]
- Forster, C., Mourmourakis, F., Hochuli, D., White, T., Latty, T., Gloag, R. (2023). Flower choice by the stingless bee Tetragonula carbonaria is not influenced by colour-similarity to a higher-reward flower in the same patch. Apidologie, 54(2). [More Information]
- Forster, C., Middleton, E., Gloag, R., Hochuli, D., White, T., Latty, T. (2023). Impact of empty flowers on foraging choice and movement within floral patches by the honey bee, Apis mellifera. Insectes Sociaux, 70(4), 413-422. [More Information]
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2022
- Marsh, J., Bal, P., Fraser, H., Umbers, K., Latty, T., Greenville, A., Rumpff, L., Woinarski, J. (2022). Accounting for the neglected: Invertebrate species and the 2019–2020 Australian megafires. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 31(10), 2120-2130. [More Information]
- Herringe, C., Middleton, E., Boyd, K., Latty, T., White, T. (2022). Benefits and costs of social foraging in velvet worms. Ethology, 128(3), 197-206. [More Information]
- Mackillop, S., Keitel, C., Latty, T. (2022). Beyond Hermetia illucens: An investigation of the garden soldier fly Exaireta spinigera as a potential bioconverter of food waste. Journal of Applied Entomology, 146, 168-174. [More Information]
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2021
- Logan, L., Latty, T., Roberts, T. (2021). Effective bioconversion of farmed chicken products by black soldier fly larvae at commercially relevant growth temperatures. Journal of Applied Entomology, 145(6), 621-628. [More Information]
- White, T., Latty, T. (2021). Flies improve the salience of iridescent sexual signals by orienting toward the sun. Behavioral Ecology, 31(6), 1401-1409. [More Information]
- Saunders, M., Barton, P., Bickerstaff, J., Frost, L., Latty, T., Lessard, B., Lowe, E., Rodriguez, J., White, T., Umbers, K. (2021). Limited understanding of bushfire impacts on Australian invertebrates. Insect Conservation and Diversity, 14(3), 285-293. [More Information]
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2020
- Dunn, L., Lequerica Tamara, M., Reid, C., Latty, T. (2020). Dual ecosystem services of syrphid flies (Diptera: Syrphidae): pollinators and biological control agents. Pest Management Science, 76(6), 1973-1979. [More Information]
- Latty, T., Trueblood, J. (2020). How do insects choose flowers? A review of multi-attribute flower choice and decoy effects in flower-visiting insects. Journal of Animal Ecology, 89, 2750-2762. [More Information]
- Tasker, P., Reid, C., Young, A., Threlfall, C., Latty, T. (2020). If you plant it, they will come: quantifying attractiveness of exotic plants for winter-active flower visitors in community gardens. Urban Ecosystems, 23(2), 345-354. [More Information]
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2019
- Lowe, E., Latty, T., Webb, C., Whitehouse, M., Saunders, M. (2019). Engaging urban stakeholders in the sustainable management of arthropod pests. Journal of Pest Science, 92(3), 987-1002. [More Information]
- Oberhauser, F., Middleton, E., Latty, T., Czaczkes, T. (2019). Meat ants cut more trail shortcuts when facing long detours. Journal of Experimental Biology, 222(21), 1-7. [More Information]
- Vanderstock, A., Latty, T., Leonard, R., Hochuli, D. (2019). Mines over matter: Effects of foliar particulate matter on the herbivorous insect, Helicoverpa armigera. Journal of Applied Entomology, 143(1-2), 77-87. [More Information]
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2018
- Chapman, N., Byatt, M., Cocenza, R., Nguyen, L., Heard, T., Latty, T., Oldroyd, B. (2018). Anthropogenic hive movements are changing the genetic structure of a stingless bee (Tetragonula carbonaria) population along the east coast of Australia. Conservation Genetics, 19(3), 619-627. [More Information]
- Middleton, E., Reid, C., Mann, R., Latty, T. (2018). Social and private information influence the decision making of Australian meat ants (Iridomyrmex purpureus). Insectes Sociaux, 65(4), 649-656. [More Information]
2017
- Latty, T., Holmes, M., Makinson, J., Beekman, M. (2017). Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) use adaptable transportation networks to track changes in resource quality. Journal of Experimental Biology, 220, 686-694. [More Information]
- Makinson, J., Threlfall, C., Latty, T. (2017). Bee-friendly community gardens: Impact of environmental variables on the richness and abundance of exotic and native bees. Urban Ecosystems, 20(2), 463-476. [More Information]
- Smith-Ferguson, J., Reid, C., Latty, T., Beekman, M. (2017). Hansel, Gretel and the slime mould - how an external spatial memory aids navigation in complex environments. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 50(41), 1-11. [More Information]
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2016
- Reid, C., Latty, T. (2016). Collective behaviour and swarm intelligence in slime moulds. FEMS Microbiology Reviews, 40(6), 798-806. [More Information]
- Reid, C., MacDonald, H., Mann, R., Marshall, J., Latty, T., Garnier, S. (2016). Decision-making without a brain: how an amoeboid organism solves the two-armed bandit. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 13(119), 1-8. [More Information]
- Pettit, L., Latty, T. (2016). Greenhead ants Rhytidoponera metallica make trade-offs between food temperature and food concentration. Ecological Entomology, 41(5), 527-531. [More Information]
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2015
- Cabanes, G., van Wilgenburg, E., Beekman, M., Latty, T. (2015). Ants build transportation networks that optimize cost and efficiency at the expense of robustness. Behavioral Ecology, 26(1), 223-231. [More Information]
- Beekman, M., Latty, T. (2015). Brainless but Multi-Headed: Decision Making by the Acellular Slime Mould Physarum polycephalum. Journal of Molecular Biology, 427(23), 3734-3743. [More Information]
- Tan, K., Latty, T., Dong, S., Liu, X., Wang, C., Oldroyd, B. (2015). Individual honey bee (Apis cerana) foragers adjust their fuel load to match variability in forage reward. Scientific Reports, 5(16418), 1-7. [More Information]
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2014
- Perna, A., Latty, T. (2014). Animal transportation networks. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 11(100), 1-13. [More Information]
- Yip, V., Beekman, M., Latty, T. (2014). Foraging strategies of the acellular slime moulds Didymium iridis and Didymium bahiense. Fungal Ecology, 11, 29-36. [More Information]
- Tan, K., Latty, T., Hu, Z., Wang, Z., Yang, S., Chen, W., Oldroyd, B. (2014). Preferences and tradeoffs in nectar temperature and nectar concentration in the Asian hive bee Apis cerana. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 68(1), 13-20. [More Information]
2013
- Reid, C., Beekman, M., Latty, T., Dussutour, A. (2013). Amoeboid organism uses extracellular secretions to make smart foraging decisions. Behavioral Ecology, 24(4), 812-818. [More Information]
- Young, H., Reid, T., Randall, L., Lachowsky, L., Foster, D., Pengelly, C., Latty, T., Reid, M. (2013). Influences of Movement Behavior on Animal Distributions at Edges of Homogeneous Patches. International Journal of Zoology, 2013, 1-8. [More Information]
- Latty, T., Beekman, M. (2013). Keeping track of changes: the performance of ant colonies in dynamic environments. Animal Behaviour, 85(3), 637-643. [More Information]
2012
- Lihoreau, M., Latty, T., Chittka, L. (2012). An exploration of the social brain hypothesis in insects. Frontiers in Physiology, 3, 1-7. [More Information]
- Granovskiy, B., Latty, T., Duncan, M., Sumpter, D., Beekman, M. (2012). How dancing honey bees keep track of changes: the role of inspector bees. Behavioral Ecology, 23(3), 588-596. [More Information]
- Reid, C., Latty, T., Beekman, M. (2012). Making a trail: informed Argentine ants lead colony to the best food by U-turning coupled with enhanced pheromone laying. Animal Behaviour, 84(6), 1579-1587. [More Information]
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2011
- Nicolis, S., Zabzina, N., Latty, T., Sumpter, D. (2011). Collective irrationality and positive feedback. PloS One, 6(4), 1-6. [More Information]
- Latty, T., Beekman, M. (2011). Irrational decision-making in an amoeboid organism: transitivity and context-dependent preferences. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 278(1703), 307-312. [More Information]
- Wallin, K., Latty, T., Ross, D. (2011). Orientation Behavior of the Predator Laricobius nigrinus (Coleoptera: Derodontidae) to Hemlock Woolly Adelgid and Host Tree Odors in a Multi-Chambered Olfactometer. Environmental Entomology, 40(4), 864-872. [More Information]
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2010
- Dussutour, A., Latty, T., Beekman, M., Simpson, S. (2010). Amoeboid organism solves complex nutritional challenges. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 107(10), 4607-4611. [More Information]
- Latty, T., Beekman, M. (2010). Food quality and the risk of light exposure affect patch-choice decisions in the slime mold Physarum polycephalum. Ecology, 91(1), 22-27. [More Information]
2009
- Latty, T., Reid, M. (2009). First in line or first in time? Effects of settlement order and arrival date on reproduction in a group-living beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae. Journal of Animal Ecology, 78(3), 549-555. [More Information]
- Latty, T., Beekman, M. (2009). Food quality affects search strategy in the acellular slime mould, Physarum polycephalum. Behavioral Ecology, 20(6), 1160-1167. [More Information]
- Latty, T., Magrath, M., Symonds, M. (2009). Harem size and oviposition behaviour in a polygynous bark beetle. Ecological Entomology, 34(5), 562-568. [More Information]
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2008
- Wallin, K., Latty, T. (2008). Novel intermediate-term individual marking technique for slugs. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 74(3), 299-300. [More Information]
2007
- Bailey, S., Hargreaves, A., Hechtenthal, S., Laird, R., Latty, T., Reid, T., Teucher, A., Tindall, J. (2007). Empty flowers as a pollination-enhancement strategy. Evolutionary Ecology Research, 9(8), 1245-1262.
2006
- Latty, T. (2006). Flexible Mate Guarding Tactics in the Dragonfly Sympelrum Internum (Odonata: Libellulidae). Journal of Insect Behavior, 19(4), 469-477. [More Information]
Selected Grants
2024
- A systems approach to maximising crop pollination using companion flowers, Latty T, Australian Research Council (ARC)/Future Fellowships (FT)
2023
- Impacts of prescribed burning on honeybees and pollination industries, Latty T, AgriFutures Australia/Open Call Research and Development Projects
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In the media
- Quirks & Quarks
- Brainless slime mould has an external memory
- Ants, swarms and navigation: biomimicry part 2
- No leader, no plans, no problem
- Ants build cheapest networks
- A colony of solutions
- Leader-less ants make super efficient network
- Slime moulds explain irrational humans
- What brainless moulds may teach us
- Let slime moulds do the thinking!
- Dinosaur Snake Snacks, Slime Mould Dining Decisions, How the Polar Bear Got its Coat, Run, Jumbo, Run, Typhoid Tricks, Dust in the Wind
- ScienceShot: Even Slime Molds Make Mistakes
- Brainless slime mould makes decisions like humans
- Humans and the slime mould
- http://www.technologyreview.com
