Research interests
Tanya Latty’s work focuses around three themes:
Collective behaviour and swarm intelligence. Ants, bees and slime moulds are capable of achieving amazing feats of problem solving despite having small, or in the case of the slime moulds, no brains. How do they accomplish this? Understanding how simple systems solve complex problems can lead to the development of new bio-inspired technologies and computer algorithms. As such, Tanya works closely with mathematicians, computer scientists and operations researchers to apply what she learns from nature toward solving some of our most difficult technological problems.
The ecology and behaviour of Australian native bees. Australia is home to at least 1600 species of native bee, yet we know almost nothing about the ecology and behaviour of the majority of species. Tanya is particularly interested in the potential role of native bees as alternative/supplementary pollinators in both rural and urban agricultural settings.
Integrated pest management. Understanding the behaviour and ecology of pest insects allows for the development of novel, sustainable management strategies. Tanya is particularly interested in the behaviour and ecology of social and semi-social pest insects.