CSIRO research scientist Dr Tim Heard collecting insects in the field.

Dr Tim Heard: the insect tracker

Dr Tim Heard spends much of his time in Central and South America searching for biological control agents for Australian weeds.

• 5 December 2011

• Background
• Search for new agents
• A long, involved process
• Skills and interests

Background

Dr Tim Heard is a Senior Research Scientist in the Tropical Weeds Group which is based at the Long Pocket Laboratories in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

His research area is plants from Central and South America which have become major weeds in Australia and his tool is biological control. Weeds in Dr Heard’s sights at present include:

• mimosa
• bellyache bush
• Mexican poppy
• parkinsonia.

He has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science and a Doctorate from the University of Queensland, Brisbane, and a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Spanish.

The latter will be very useful in his role as the manager of the CSIRO Mexican Field Station.

A recent success in Dr Heard's work saw CSIRO gain approval to release a new biological control agent, a moth, to attack the weed mimosa in the Northern Territory.

The moth comes from Mexico and South America and its caterpillars eat the leaves of mimosa.

Search for new agents

Australia has become home to many exotic plants some of which are now major weeds.

One long-term, environmentally friendly way of managing them is through biological control.

This means going to their 'home range', or original habitat, and finding the organisms, particularly insects, that keep them under control there.

That's where Dr Heard comes in. He has conducted extensive insect surveys in Central and South America, facing many challenges in remote fieldwork.

'The rewards are great, especially the privilege of seeing faraway places, but there are also difficulties not found in Australia'.

'But rich sensations convert the difficulties, drudgery or lack of success into unforgettable experiences.'

'The glory of a giant kapok tree, snow-covered volcanoes rising from sweaty coastal plains and salsa music dancing across the fields.'

'These etch themselves into the memory.'

'Eating is a constant lesson in ethno-botany and travel is always interesting.'

'I once watched a bus driver on a windy road steer with his knees while he attached his radio to the bus battery - which was sliding around his feet.'

A long, involved process

Looking for potential biocontrol agents in Laguna de Tisma, Nicaragua.

Finding a successful biocontrol agent is not just a matter of picking any insect.

It is a long and involved process requiring the application of many scientific skills.

Dr Heard employs his knowledge of plant-insect interactions, and insect and plant biology to help select potential agents from the range of herbivores in the weed’s native range and then the host specificity testing of potential agents (firstly overseas and then in quarantine in Australia).

Skills and interests

Dr Heard is also interested in pollination biology and spends much of his spare time working on and culturing native bees.

His areas of expertise include:

• insect ecology
• insect behaviour
• biological control
• plant/insect interactions
• risk analysis
• integrated weed management
• pollination ecology
• culture of native bee species.

Find out about our work in Invasive pests threaten Australia’s biodiversity.