Aston Arthur
Research Scientist
Bachelor of Biological Sciences with Honours, PhD Genetics
Aston conducts research on insecticide resistance and is also involved in the product development and testing space at Cesar Australia. She is passionate about pest management, and has a long history of developing effective and sustainable control options for a range of agricultural pests.
Growing up in a small farming community and her love for animals led Aston to study biological sciences. After taking a keen interest in invertebrate pests, she completed a PhD at the University of Melbourne, investigating the biology, ecology and genetics of Balaustium and Bryobia mites. Throughout her career, Aston has gained vast experience in molecular genetics, field and shadehouse trials, and lab experiments. Her work has been published in a number of scientific journals.
Aston enjoys the variety her job offers, whether it is in the field collecting invertebrates, running microcosm trials in the shadehouse, or in the lab undertaking bioassays. She also loves that her role fits into her busy family life. When not at work, Aston loves spending time with her young family.
Paul Umina, James Maino, Owain Edwards, Xuan Cheng, Matthew Binns, Anthony van Rooyen, Sue Song, Andrew Weeks, Aston Arthur, Olivia Reynolds, Ary Hoffmann (2023) Fitness costs of pyrethroid resistance in the polyphagous pest mite, Halotydeus destructor, under field conditions. Journal of Pest Science 97: 185–197.
Aston Arthur, Lisa Kirkland, Evatt Chirgwin, Anthony van Rooyen, Paul Umina (2022) Baseline susceptibility of Australian Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) to novel insecticides flonicamid and afidopyropen. Crop Protection 158: 105992.
Paul Umina, Chris Bass, Anthony van Rooyen, Evatt Chirgwin, Aston Arthur, Adam Pym, Jo Mackisack, Andrew Mathews, Lisa Kirkland (2022) Spirotetramat resistance in Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and its association with the presence of the A2666V mutation. Pest Management Science 78: 4822-4831.
Paul Umina, Andrew Weeks, James Maino, Ary Hoffmann, Sue Song, Joshua Thia, Dustin Severtson, Xuan Cheng, Anthony van Rooyen, Aston Arthur (2022) Australian Bryobia mites (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae) form a complex of cryptic taxa with unique climatic niches and insecticide responses. Pest Management Science 78: 2860-2871.
Aston Arthur, James Maino, Ary Hoffmann, Moshe Jasper, Alan Lord, Svetlana Micic, Owain Edwards, Anthony van Rooyen, Paul Umina (2021) Learnings from over a decade of increasing pesticide resistance in the redlegged earth mite, Halotydeus destructor (Tucker). Pest Management Science 77: 3013-3024.
Aston Arthur, Marielle Babineau, Paul Umina (2020) Insecticide responses in the Collembola pest, Sminthurus viridis (Collembola: Sminthuridae), in Australia. Journal of Economic Entomology 113: 1940-1945.
Paul Umina, Aston Arthur, Mathew Binns, James Maino (2019) A method to investigate neonicotinoid resistance in mites. Experimental and Applied Acarology 79: 345-357.
Aston Arthur, Ary Hoffmann, Paul Umina (2015) Challenges in devising economic spray thresholds for a major pest of Australian canola, the redlegged earth mite (Halotydeus destructor). Pest Management Science 71: 1462-1470.
Paul Umina, Sommer Jenkins, Stuart McColl, Aston Arthur, Ary Hoffmann (2015) A framework for identifying selective chemical applications for IPM in dryland agriculture. Insects 6: 988-1012.
Aston Arthur, Ary Hoffmann, Paul Umina (2014) Estimating densities of the pest Halotydeus destructor (Acari: Penthaleidae) in canola. Journal of Economic Entomology 107: 2204-2212.
Aston Arthur, Ary Hoffmann, Paul Umina (2013) Impact of Halotydeus destructor on crop seedlings at different plant developmental stages and levels of moisture stress. Environmental Entomology 42: 998-1012.
Aston Arthur, Stuart McColl, Paul Umina (2013) Synthetic pesticides show little efficacy against Balaustium medicagoense (Prostigmata: Erythraeidae) in the field compared with other pest mites. Australian Journal of Entomology 52: 259-267.
Aston Arthur, Adam Miller, Andrew Weeks (2011) Genetic markers indicate a new species complex of emerging pest mites in Australian grains. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 104: 402-415.
Aston Arthur, Andrew Weeks, Matthew Hill, Ary Hoffmann (2011) The distribution, abundance and life cycle of the pest mites Balaustium medicagoense (Prostigmata: Erythraeidae) and Bryobia spp. (Prostigmata: Tetranychidae) in Australia. Australian Journal of Entomology 50: 22-36.
Paul Umina, Aston Arthur, Stuart McColl, Ary Hoffmann, John Roberts (2010) Selective control of mite and collembolan pests of pastures and grain crops in Australia. Crop Protection 29: 190-196.
Aston Arthur, Andrew Weeks, Paul Umina, Ary Hoffmann (2010) Survival and reproduction of the pest mites Balaustium medicagoense and Bryobia spp. on winter grain crops. Experimental and Applied Acarology 52: 141-153.
Aston Arthur, Ary Hoffmann, Paul Umina, Andrew Weeks (2008) Emerging pest mites of grains (Balaustium medicagoense and Bryobia sp.) show high levels of tolerance to currently registered pesticides. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48: 1126-1132.