Michael Keller

Michael Keller

School of Agriculture, Food and Wine

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology


Mike Keller was appointed as Emeritus Professor in January 2018. He retired as Dean of Waite, Head of the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, and Director of the Waite Research Institute in December 2017. He is an entomologist who joined the University of Adelaide in 1987. His research largely focuses on insect natural enemies and their role in biological control of insect pests. His research on predators and parasitic wasps aims to provide ecological strategies for the enhancement of biological control in agricultural systems through a combination of experimental and theoretical advances. In addition, he has contributed to research on pollination of crops. Through his leadership roles at the University of Adelaide, he developed expertise in the management of plant breeding.

The behaviour and ecology of parasitic wasps and predatory arthropods that serve as agents of biological control.

Biological control of insect pests and weeds.

Pollination biology.

  • Appointments

    Date Position Institution name
    2018 - ongoing Emeritus Professor The University of Adelaide
    2015 - 2017 Dean of Waite The University of Adelaide
    2015 - 2017 Head, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine The University of Adelaide
    2015 - 2017 Director, Waite Research Institute The University of Adelaide
  • Education

    Date Institution name Country Title
    1980 - 1985 North Carolina State University United States PhD (Entomology)
    1978 - 1980 University of Florida United States MSc (Entomology)
    1974 - 1978 University of Delaware United States BSc (Entomology)
    1974 - 1978 University of Delaware United States BArts (Biology)
  • Research Interests

  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2017 - 2022 Co-Supervisor Ecological interactions between two natural enemies of the Light Brown Apple Moth Doctor of Philosophy under a Jointly-awarded Degree Agreement with Doctorate Full Time Miss Emma Kate Aspin
    2014 - 2018 Principal Supervisor Enhanced conservation biological control of light brown apple moth in vineyards Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Hieu Trung Bui
    2013 - 2019 Principal Supervisor The colonisation of canola crops by the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L., in southern Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Kym David Perry
    2012 - 2017 Principal Supervisor Effects of temperature on the parasitoid Eretmocerus Warrae Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Tao Wang
    2012 - 2019 Principal Supervisor The potential functional diversity offered by native insectary plants to support populations of predatory arthropods in Australian vineyards Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Ms Mary Joy Retallack
    2011 - 2014 Principal Supervisor Effects of inducible tolerance to Bacillus thuringiensis on the egg transcriptomes and egg parasitism in Helicoverpa armigera Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Kay Anantanawat
    2011 - 2014 Principal Supervisor Foraging behavior of Dolichogenidea tasmanica & patterns of parasitism in light brown apple moth Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Maryam Yazdani
    2010 - 2015 Principal Supervisor Why are some parasitoids of light brown apple moth so uncommon in vineyards? Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Yi Feng
    2010 - 2014 Principal Supervisor Buzzing bees and the evolution of sexual floral dimorphism in Australian spiny Solanum Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Arthur Selwyn Mark
    2005 - 2011 Principal Supervisor Interactions between Plutella xylostella, Diadegma semiclausum and some generalist predators on Brassica crops Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Gabriela Lankin Vega
    2005 - 2008 Principal Supervisor Circadian Rhythms and Effects of Different Diets on the Development and Reproduction of Nabis Kindbergii (Hemiptera: Nabidae) Master of Science Master Full Time Mr Huu Nguyen
    2004 - 2007 Principal Supervisor A DNA-Based Approach to Study Predator-Pray Trophic Interactions within Brassica Crops: A Search for Predators of Diamondback Moth (Plutella xylostella) Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Reza Hosseini
    2004 - 2006 Co-Supervisor Inducible Tolerance to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Endotoxins Based on Cell-Free Immune Reactions Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Mahbub Mohammad Rahman
    2003 - 2007 Co-Supervisor An Investigation into Insect Chemical Plume Tracking Using a Mobile Robot Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time APrf David Harvey
    2001 - 2007 Principal Supervisor Biology and Ecology of the Introduced Snail Microxeromagna Armillata in South Eastern Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Angela Lush
    2001 - 2005 Co-Supervisor The sympatric coexistence of two reproductively independent lines of the endoparasitic wasp Venturia canescens Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Harry Roberts
    2000 - 2004 Principal Supervisor Ecology of Mediterranean Snails in Southern Australian Agriculture: A Study of Cernuella Virgata and Cochlicella Acuta on the Yorke Peninsula Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Vanessa Cavagnaro
    1998 - 2002 Principal Supervisor Factors affecting the establishment and release strategies for a classical biological control agent, the horehound plume moth (Wheeleria spilodactylus) in SA Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Jeanine Baker
    1998 - 2002 Principal Supervisor Food foraging in adult parasitoid Cotesia rubecula: how sugar sources contribute to survival and reproduction Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Gitta Siekmann
    1997 - 2003 Co-Supervisor THE BIOLOGY, ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF THE QUANDONG MOTH, Paraepermenia santaliella LEPIDOPTERA: EPERMENIIDAE Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Kaye Ferguson

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