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.
Arthur AL, Maino J, Hoffmann AA, Jasper M, Lord A, Micic S, Edwards O, van Rooyen A, Umina PA (2021) Learnings from over a decade of increasing pesticide resistance in the redlegged earth mite, Halotydeus destructor (Tucker). Pest Management Science 77, 3013-3024.
Arthur AL, Babineau M, Umina PA (2020) Insecticide responses in the collembola pest, Sminthurus viridis (Collembola: Sminthuridae), in Australia. Journal of Economic Entomology 113, 1940-1945.
Umina PA, Arthur A, Binns M, Maino J (2019) A novel approach to test for neonicotinoid resistance in earth mites. Experimental and Applied Acarology 79, 345-357.
Arthur A, Hoffmann A, Umina P (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.
Umina P, Jenkins S, McColl S, Arthur A, Hoffmann AA (2015) Framework for Identifying Selective Chemical Applications for IPM in Dryland Agriculture. Insects 6, 988-1012.
Arthur A, Hoffmann A, Umina P (2014) Estimating densities of the pest redlegged earth mite, Halotydeus destructor, in canola. Journal of Economic Entomology 107, 1626-1638.
Arthur AL, Hoffmann AA, Umina PA (2013) Impact of Halotydeus destructor on crop seedlings at different plant developmental stages and levels of moisture stress. Environmental Entomology 45, 998-1012.
Arthur AL, McColl S, Umina PA (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.
Arthur AL, Miller AD, Weeks AR (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.
Arthur AL, Weeks AR, Hill MP, Hoffmann AA (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.
Arthur AL, Weeks AR, Umina PA, Hoffmann AA (2010) Survival and reproduction of the pest mites Balaustium medicagoense and Bryobia spp. on winter grain crops. Experimental and Applied Acarology 52, 141-153.
Umina PA, Arthur AA, McColl SA, Hoffmann AA, Roberts JMK (2010) Selective control of mite and collembolan pests of pastures and grain crops in Australia. Crop Protection 29, 190-196.
Arthur AL, Hoffmann AA, Umina PA, Weeks AR (2008) Tolerance of emerging pests of grains, Balaustium medicagoense and Bryobia spp., to currently registered pesticides. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48, 1126-1132.
Arthur AL, Weeks AR, Sgro CM (2008) Investigating latitudinal clines for life history and stress resistance traits in Drosophila simulans from eastern Australia. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 21, 1470-1479.