Kelly Greig
Research Scientist
Bachelor of Environmental Science (Honours), PhD (Biological Science)
Kelly is passionate about combining multiple disciplines to better explain the persistence of ancient lineages and their evolutionary drivers over deep time. She completed her PhD at The University of Auckland, where she studied the function and evolution of passive debris cloaking in the beetle family Zopheridae, utilizing behavioural ecology, anti-predator adaptations and correlated evolution of morphological traits.
At Cesar she works across various projects that aim to take advantage of beneficial insects and increase our understanding of key pests to reduce our reliance on insecticides. She is interested in finding long term agricultural solutions that protect our ecosystems.
In her spare time, she advocates for HFI Support Australia to support individuals and families suffering from this rare genetic condition. She also plays too many video games.
Kelly Greig, Thomas R. Buckley, Richard A.B. Leschen, Gregory I. Holwell (2025). Passive debris cloaking in beetles provides non-visual camouflage against predatory ants. Behavioral Ecology, 36(4), araf064.
Kelly Greig, Thomas R. Buckley, Gregory I. Holwell, Richard A.B. Leschen (2025). Flight loss decreases diversification in New Zealand beetles (Coleoptera: Zopheridae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 145(2), blaf021.
Nick Porch, Tessa R. Smith, Kelly Greig (2020). Five new Pycnomerus Erichson (Coleoptera: Zopheridae: Pycnomerini) from Raivavae, French Polynesia. Zootaxa, 4718 (2), 239–250.