Luke Tilley Explained

Honorific Prefix:Dr
Alma Mater:University of York (PhD)
University of Sheffield (BSc)
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Workplaces:Stockbridge Technology Centre
Royal Entomological Society
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Luke Tilley

Luke Tilley FRES FRSA (born 8 January 1983) is a British entomologist and science communicator.[1] He is Director of Communications and Engagement at the Royal Entomological Society and Insect Week Coordinator in the UK.[2]

Education and career

Tilley is from Cheshire[3] and studied his biology undergraduate degree at the University of Sheffield graduating in 2005.[4] He received his Ph.D from the University of York in 2010, studying the parasitoid wasps of shore flies in lettuce and celery crop glasshouses.[5] He then worked as a research manager at Stockbridge Technology Centre (formerly Horticulture Research International) while coordinating Insect Week. In 2012 he joined the Royal Entomological Society to work as Director of Outreach and Development, moving to chief executive officer in 2018, and Director of Communications and Engagemenent in 2021.[6] [7]

Research

Tilley's research looked at the parasitoid wasp Aphaereta debilitata as a biological control agent of the shore fly Scatella tenuicosta, a pest in glasshouse crop soil. He found that the wasps reduced numbers of flies emerging from soil and subsequently there was a decrease in lettuce damage levels.[8] He also found that levels of algae growing on the soil were negatively correlated with A debilitata and concluded that growers should encourage algal growth, as part of a conservation biological control programme.[9]

He has also been involved in research on the interactions between beneficial insects such as hoverflies and parasitoid wasps[10] and in finding gaps in knowledge about the conservation of beneficial insects[11]

Science Communication

As well as National Insect Week,[12] Tilley coordinates other outreach activities such as Insect Festival, the Great Bug Hunt which runs in collaboration with The Association for Science Education[13] and is editor of INSTAR with Adam Hart.[14]

He has organised international symposia on insects and the public,[15] is an expert contributor to the Guinness Book of World Records[16] and has written about insects for a range of different publications including the National Association of Environmental Education.[17] In 2013 he contributed to a panel on literature and science at the British Society of Literature and Science's annual meeting.[18]

Honours and awards

In 2011 Tilley was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Entomological Society and in 2020 he was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2017-07-21. Dr Luke Tilley. 2020-08-15. Royal Entomological Society. en.
  2. Web site: 2016-06-19. 20th June 2016 – Luke Tilley, Royal Entomological Society. 2020-08-16. Biotweeps. en.
  3. News: Durose . Katie . Nantwich man to lead national insect campaign . 17 September 2020 . Winsford and Middlewich Guardian . 14 April 2012.
  4. Web site: STC it's Science Team . stockbridgeonline.co.uk . Stockbridge Technology Centre . 17 September 2020.
  5. Web site: Assessing the prospects for biological control of the shore fly, scatella tenuicosta, by the parasitoid, aphaereta debilitata, in glasshouse horticulture . ethos.bl.uk . British Library . 16 September 2020.
  6. Web site: 20th June 2016 – Luke Tilley, Royal Entomological Society . biotweep.wordpress.com . 19 June 2016 . 16 September 2020.
  7. Web site: Dr Luke Tilley FRES . Royal Entomological Society . Royal Entomological Society . 15 September 2021 . en . 21 July 2017.
  8. Tilley. Luke . Testing a candidate parasitoid in the glasshouse: control efficacy of Aphaereta debilitata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) against shore fly populations. Biocontrol. 56. 851–860. 2011 . 6 . 10.1007/s10526-011-9362-x. 9931046 .
  9. Tilley. Luke . Control of a glasshouse pest through the conservation of its natural enemies? An evaluation of apparently naturally controlled shore fly populations. Biological Control. 56. 22–29. 2011 . 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2010.09.003.
  10. George. David . Control of a glasshouse pest through the conservation of its natural enemies? An evaluation of apparently naturally controlled shore fly populations. Biological Control. 67. 539–547. 2013 . 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2013.08.013.
  11. Dicks. Lynn. Identifying key knowledge needs for evidence‐based conservation of wild insect pollinators: a collaborative cross‐sectoral exercise. Insect Conservation and Diversity. 6. 435–446. 2012 . 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2013.08.013.
  12. News: Bawden . Tom . From honeybees to dragonflies and spittlebugs, interest in insects has soared — and there's 24,000 species in the UK . 17 September 2020 . iNews . 26 June 2020.
  13. Web site: Hill . Emma . The results are in! The Great Bug Hunt 2018 . ase.org.uk . 12 July 2018 . 17 September 2020.
  14. Web site: INSTAR magazine . nationalinsectweek.co.uk . Royal Entomological Society . 17 September 2020.
  15. Web site: ICE Symposia ICE 2016 XXV International Congress of Entomology. Insects and the Public: Engagement, Education and Outreach . 2020-08-17. 2020-08-09. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20200809073510/http://www.ice2016orlando.org/scientific-program/symposia/ .
  16. Web site: Royal Entomological Society. 2020-08-17. Guinness World Records. en-GB.
  17. Web site: Tilley . Luke . Insects - little things that run the world . naee.org.uk . National Association of Environmental Education . 17 September 2020.
  18. Web site: 13th Annual Conference of the British Society of Literature and Science . brookes.ac.uk . 17 September 2020.

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