Peter Yeeles
Projects
10
Publications
12
Awards
0
Contact Details
Research Fellow
Biography
I am broadly interested in the ecology and natural history of insects. My work to date falls within with two main themes; the use of functional traits to understand insect community ecology, and ant invasions, including the optimization of eradication program methods, and the consequences of ant invasion and any subsequent invasive species management. I am very much a field ecologist, and enjoy working within these themes by designing and executing field experiments to test theory in natural settings.
Research
Projects
The ecology of endangered and widespread species in the Vincetoxicum genus.
12 Aug 2025 - 12 Aug 2028
Testing a biopesticide on yellow crazy ants
28 Feb 2025 - 29 Aug 2025
Testing a biopesticide on yellow crazy ants
28 Feb 2025 - 29 Aug 2025
Investigating the pitfalls of bee hotels (Old ID 30046)
01 Jul 2023 - 31 Dec 2026
Baseline invasive ant fauna and impact survey in the Torres Strait (Old ID 27827)
18 Oct 2022 - 30 Jun 2024
Investigating combined stressors in bees: insecticides and thermal stress (Old ID 27283)
30 Jun 2021 - 31 Jan 2022
Research to inform yellow crazy ant management in the Wet Tropics (Old ID 26714)
01 Apr 2020 - 30 Jun 2025
Research to Inform Yellow Crazy Ant Management in the Wet Tropics (Old ID 23489)
15 May 2017 - 31 Mar 2020
Research Data
Teaching
Research Advisor Accreditation
Advisor Type
Secondary
Current JCU Research Students
Investigating interactions in bee hotels and the effects of pathogens and heat stress on native bees
Doctor of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)
Current Honours and External Research Students
Impacts of cultivation and insecticides on soil macroinvertebrates and their correlation with soil carbon in sugarcane
HONOURS- 2024
Completed Honours and External Research Students
A morphological and phylogenetic revision of the Australian Fulciniinae (Mantodea: Nanomantidae) with a focus on the tribes Fulciniini and Neomantini
HONOURS
The effects of cattle grazing intensity on ant community composition and seed removal in northern Australia: a study from the Wambiana grazing trial
HONOURS
The impact of induced drought on arboreal ant communities of the Daintree Rainforest
HONOURS
Output
Yeeles, Peter; Lach, Lori; Hobbs, Richard J.; Didham, Raphael K. (2025) 'Functional redundancy compensates for decline of dominant ant species'. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 9 (5):779-788. [DOI]
Taylor, Christopher K.; Yeeles, Peter (2025) 'First record of Stimulopalpus distinctus Smithers, 1995 (Psocodea: Amphientomidae) from mainland Australia'. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum - Nature, 66 :22-26. [DOI]
Revision of the genus Calofulcinia Giglio-Tos (Mantodea: Nanomantidae: Fulciniinae) in Australia
2023
Connors, Matthew G.; Yeeles, Peter; Lach, Lori; Rentz, David C.F. (2023) 'Revision of the genus Calofulcinia Giglio-Tos (Mantodea: Nanomantidae: Fulciniinae) in Australia'. Zootaxa, 5296 :333-361. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Connors, Matthew G.; Yeeles, Peter; Lach, Lori; Rentz, David C.F. (2023) 'A revision of the genus Ima Tindale (Mantodea: Nanomantidae: Fulciniinae) with the description of a new genus'. Zootaxa, 5380 (3):201-226. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Farnan, Holly; Yeeles, Peter; Lach, Lori (2023) 'Sublethal doses of insecticide reduce thermal tolerance of a stingless bee and are not avoided in a resource choice test'. Royal Society Open Science, 10 (11). [DOI]
Lach, Lori; Case, Dylan; Yeeles, Peter; Hoskin, Conrad J. (2022) 'Invasive ants reduce abundance of small rainforest skinks'. Biodiversity and Conservation, 31 :739-755. [DOI]
Lenancker, Pauline; Feldhaar, Heike; Holzinger, Anja; Greenfield, Melinda; Strain, Angela; Yeeles, Peter; Hoffmann, Benjamin D.; Tay, Wee Tek; Lach, Lori (2021) 'Origin, behaviour, and genetics of reproductive workers in an invasive ant'. Frontiers in Zoology, 18 . [DOI]
Yeeles, Peter; Strain, Angela; Lenancker, Pauline; Lach, Lori (2021) 'Low reduction of invasive ant colony productivity with an insect growth regulator'. Pest Management Science, 77 (4):1626-1632. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Staunton, Kyran M.; Crawford, Jacob E.; Cornel, Devon; Yeeles, Peter; Desnoyer, Mark; Livni, Josh; Holeman, Jodi; Mulligan, Stephen F.; Snoad, Nigel; Ritchie, Scott (2020) 'Environmental influences on Aedes aegypti catches in Biogents Sentinel traps during a Californian rear and release program: implications for designing surveillance programs'. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 14 (6). [DOI]
Staunton, Kyran M.; Yeeles, Peter; Townsend, Michael; Nowrouzi, Somayeh; Paton, Christopher J.; Trewin, Brendan; Pagendam, Daniel; Bondarenco, Artiom; Devine, Gregor J.; Snoad, Nigel; Beebe, Nigel W.; Ritchie, Scott A. (2019) 'Trap location and premises condition influences on Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) catches using Biogents Sentinel traps during a ‘rear and release’ program: implications for designing surveillance programs'. Journal of Medical Entomology, 56 (4):1102-1111. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Yeeles, Peter; Lach, Lori; Hobbs, Richard J.; van Wees, Mary; Didham, Raphael K. (2017) 'Woody plant richness does not influence invertebrate community reassembly trajectories in a tree diversity experiment'. Ecology, 98 (2):500-511. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Asfiya, Wara; Yeeles, Peter; Lach, Lori; Majer, Jonathan D.; Heterick, Brian; Didham, Raphael K. (2016) 'Abiotic factors affecting the foraging activity and potential displacement of native ants by the invasive African big-headed ant Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius, 1793) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)'. Myrmecological News, 22 :43-54.
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU