James Maino
Senior Research Scientist (Predictive Modelling)
Bachelor of Arts with Honours (Mathematic and Environmental Studies), PhD Zoology/Animal Biology
James uses mathematics and computer modelling to develop tools that help us better manage some of our most notorious crop pests. Recently he assisted in creating a tool to predict the lifecycle events of key broadacre pests based on climate data. James’ work also includes monitoring and predicting the evolution of insecticide resistance in the infamous redlegged earth mite.
James is passionate about food security, environmental sustainability, and biodiversity preservation. His role at Cesar provides him a unique opportunity to apply his expertise at the interface of these pressing issues.
James’ academic contributions have enhanced our predictive power around insect responses to changing environments. James’ accomplishments in this field have been acknowledged by various honours, including the prestigious Elton Prize from the British Ecological Society in 2014, and the Chancellor’s Prize from the University of Melbourne in 2016 for Excellence in the PhD thesis.
In his spare time, James enjoys hiking around Australia’s wide and diverse landscapes, while taking note of the smaller natural wonders that lurk underneath his feet.
Maino JL, Schouten R, Umina P (2021) Predicting the global invasion of Drosophila suzukii to improve Australian biosecurity preparedness. Journal of Applied Ecology.
Maino JL, Schouten R, Overton K, Day R, Ekesi S, Bett B, Barton M, Gregg P, Umina P, Reynolds O (2021) Regional and seasonal activity predictions for fall armyworm in Australia. Current Research in Insect Science 1, 100010.
Kirkland LS, Maino J, Stuart O, Umina P (2020) Ontogeny in the European earwig (Forficula auricularia) and grain crops interact to exacerbate feeding damage risk. Journal of Applied Entomology 144, 605– 615.
Umina P, Reidy-Crofts J, Babineau M, Maino J, Edwards E (2020) Susceptibility of the bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (Hemiptera, Aphididae), to four insecticides. Austral Entomology.
Cheng X, Hoffmann A, Maino J, Umina P (2019) Summer diapause intensity influenced by parental and offspring environmental conditions in the pest mite, Halotydeus destructor. Journal of Insect Physiology 114, 92-99.
Maino J, Renton M, Hoffmann A, Umina P (2019) Field margins provide a refuge for pest genes beneficial to resistance management. Journal of Pest Science 92, 1017-1026.
Umina P, 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.
Umina P, McDonald G, Maino J, Edwards O, Hoffmann AA (2019) Escalating insecticide resistance in Australian grain pests: contributing factors, industry trends and management opportunities. Pest Management Science 75, 1494-1506.
Maino JL, Umina PA, Hoffmann AA (2018) Climate contributes to the evolution of pesticide resistance. Global Ecology and Biogeography 27 (2), 223-232.
Cheng X, Hoffmann A, Maino J, Umina P (2018) A cryptic diapause strategy in Halotydeus destructor (Tucker) (Trombidiformes: Penthaleidae) induced by multiple cues. Pest Management Science 74, 2618-2625.
Maino J, Binns M, Umina P (2018) No longer a west-side story – pesticide resistance discovered in the eastern range of a major Australian crop pest, Halotydeus destructor (Acari: Penthaleidae). Crop and Pasture Science 69, 216-221.
Umina P, McDonald G, Maino J, Edwards O, Hoffman AA (2018) Escalating insecticide resistance in Australian grain pests: contributing factors, industry trends and management opportunities. Pest Management Science 75, 1494-1506.
Maino JL, Kearney MR (2017) The universality of the von Bertalanffy growth curve: Comment on “Physics of metabolic organization” by Marko Jusup et al. Physics of life reviews 20, 63-65.
Maino JL, Pirtle EI, Kearney MR (2017) The effect of egg size on hatch time and metabolic rate: theoretical and empirical insights on developing insect embryos. Functional Ecology 31, 227-234.
Maino J, Umina PA, Hoffmann A (2017) Climate contributes to the evolution of pesticide resistance. Global Ecology and Biogeography 27, 223-232.
Maino JL, Kong JD, Hoffmann AA, Barton MG, Kearney MR (2016) Mechanistic models for predicting insect responses to climate change. Current opinion in insect science 17, 81-86.
Llandres AL, Marques GM, Maino JL, Kooijman S, Kearney MR, Casas J (2015) A dynamic energy budget for the whole life‐cycle of holometabolous insects. Ecological Monographs 85, 353-371.
Maino JL, Kearney MR (2015) Testing mechanistic models of growth in insects. Proc. R. Soc. B. 282, 20151973.
Maino JL, Kearney MR (2014) Ontogenetic and interspecific metabolic scaling in insects. The American Naturalist 184, 695-701.
Maino JL, Kearney MR (2014) Ontogenetic and interspecific scaling of consumption in insects. Oikos 124, 1564-1570.
Maino JL, Kearney MR, Nisbet RM, Kooijman SALM. Reconciling theories for metabolic scaling. Journal of Animal Ecology 83, 20-29.