Dr William Kirk

Title: Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Entomology
Phone: +44 (0)1782 733517
Email:
Location: Huxley Building : 106
Role: Member of Council, Member of Senate, Director of Learning and Teaching (Life Sciences), Course Director (Biology), First Aider
Contacting me: Try my office or arrange an appointment by e-mail.
william kirk

I was appointed as a Lecturer at Keele University in 1987 and promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2005. I obtained a BA (Hons) in Applied Biology from Cambridge University in 1981 and then went on to complete my PhD on "The ecology of thrips in flowers" at Cambridge University in 1984. The award of a Rothmans Fellowship allowed me to do post-doctoral research on thrips at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute (now Waite Campus), University of Adelaide, South Australia in 1985. Further post-doctoral research was supported by a Research Fellowship from Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

William Kirk in Greenhouse Research interests

My main research interests are the biology and ecology of thrips, with a view to exploiting this knowledge to develop novel means of managing thrips as pests in agriculture and horticulture. I also carry out research on the foraging behaviour of bees and have kept honeybees for many years. My latest book on "Plants for Bees" is a comprehensive guide to the plants that benefit the bees of the British Isles. I am currently Vice-Chairman of the International Bee Research Association, a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, a Life Fellow of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, and Vice-President of the North Staffordshire Beekeepers' Association

Members of the Thrips Research Group

Mr Abiodun Olaniran

Ms Clare Sampson

Prof. Gordon Hamilton

Current research projects

1. Biological, semiochemical and selective chemical management methods for insecticide resistant western flower thrips on protected strawberry. Horticulture LINK. 2010-2015.

2. Pheromone identification for environmentally responsible control of thrips (PERFECT). FP7 Marie Curie IIF. 2010-2013.

3. The aggregation pheromone of the western flower thrips. ETF, Nigeria. 2010-2013.

4. Aggregation pheromones of thrips. 2011-2013.

5. Surveying pesticide levels in bee hives. BBSRC CASE and BBKA. 2010-2013.

 

 

Selected Publications

  • Kirk WDJ. 2006. A Colour Guide to Pollen Loads of the Honey Bee. (2nd ed.). Cardiff: International Bee Research Association.
  • Hamilton JG, Hall DR, Kirk WD. 2005. Identification of a male-produced aggregation pheromone in the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis. Journal of Chemical Ecology, vol. 31(6), 1369-1379. doi>
  • Kirk WDJ and Hamilton JGC. 2004. Evidence for a male-produced sex pheromone in the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis. Journal of Chemical Ecology, vol. 30(1), 167-174. doi>
  • Kirk WDJ and Terry LI. 2003. The spread of the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande). Agricultural and Forest Entomology, vol. 5(4), 301-310. doi>
  • Kirk WDJ. 1997. Feeding. In Thrips as Crop Pests. Wallingford: CAB International.

Full Publications List show

Books

  • Kirk WDJ. 2012. Plants for Bees. (1st ed.). International Bee Research Association.
  • Kirk WDJ. 2006. A Colour Guide to Pollen Loads of the Honey Bee. (2nd ed.). Cardiff: International Bee Research Association.
  • Kirk WDJ. 1996. Thrips. Slough: The Richmond Publishing Co. Ltd..
  • Kirk WDJ. 1994. A Colour Guide to Pollen Loads of the Honey Bee. (1st ed.). Cardiff: International Bee Research Association.
  • Kirk WDJ. 1992. Insects on Cabbages and Oilseed Rape. Slough: The Richmond Publishing Co. Ltd..

Journal Articles

  • Olaniran OA, Sudhakar AVS, Drijfhout FP, Dublon IAN, Hall DR, Hamilton JGC, Kirk WDJ. 2013. A Male-Predominant Cuticular Hydrocarbon, 7-Methyltricosane, is used as a Contact Pheromone in the Western Flower Thrips Frankliniella occidentalis. JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY, vol. 39(4), 559-568. link> doi>
  • Sampson AC and Kirk WDJ. 2013. Can mass trapping of thrips reduce crop damage? Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) in protected strawberry (In Preparation). PLoS One.
  • Sudhakar AVS, Kirk WDJ, Murai T, Walters KFA. 2013. Identification of the aggregation pheromone of the melon thrips (submitted). PLoS One.
  • Vierbergen G, Kucharczyk H, Kirk WDJ. 2010. A key to the second instar larvae of the Thripidae of the Western Palaearctic region (Thysanoptera). Tijdschrift voor Entomologie, vol. 153, 99-160.
  • Dublon IAN, Hamilton JGC, Kirk WDJ. 2008. Quantification of the release rate of the aggregation pheromone of the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), using solid-phase microextraction (SPME). Acta Phytopathologica et Entomologica Hungarica, vol. 43(2), 249-256. doi>
  • El-Ghariani IM and Kirk WDJ. 2008. The structure of the male sternal glands of the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande). Acta Phytopathologica et Entomologica Hungarica, vol. 43(2), 257-266. doi>
  • Holmes ND and Kirk WDJ. 2007. Can diel activity patterns in the western flower thrips be exploited as part of an IPM strategy?. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE, vol. 7. link>
  • Dublon IAN, Hamilton JGC, Kirk WDJ. 2007. Development of a laboratory bioassay to test flight responses to semiochemicals in the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis. J INSECT SCI, vol. 7.
  • Kirk WDJ. 2007. Do thunderstorms affect the flight behavior of thrips?. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE, vol. 7. link>
  • Kirk WDJ. 2007. The chemical language of thrips. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE, vol. 7. link>
  • Hamilton JG, Hall DR, Kirk WD. 2005. Identification of a male-produced aggregation pheromone in the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis. Journal of Chemical Ecology, vol. 31(6), 1369-1379. doi>
  • Kirk WDJ. 2005. A new role for IBRA. Bee world, vol. 86, 53.
  • Kirk WDJ. 2005. Plants for bees. Phacelia. Bee World, vol. 86, 14-16.
  • Kirk WDJ and Hamilton JGC. 2004. Evidence for a male-produced sex pheromone in the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis. Journal of Chemical Ecology, vol. 30(1), 167-174. doi>
  • Kirk WDJ. 2004. Plants for bees. Faba bean: Vicia faba. Bee World, vol. 85(3), 60-62.
  • Whittaker MS and Kirk WDJ. 2004. The effect of photoperiod on walking, feeding, and oviposition in the western flower thrips. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, vol. 111(3), 209-214. doi>
  • O'Leary AT and Kirk WDJ. 2004. The effect of wavelength on take-off in the western flower thrips. Acta Phytopathologica et Entomologica Hungarica, vol. 39(1-3), 123-129.
  • Whittaker MS and Kirk WDJ. 2004. The effects of sucrose and tannin on oviposition by the western flower thrips. Acta Phytopathologica et Entomologica Hungarica, vol. 39(1-3), 115-121.
  • Kirk WDJ. 2004. The link between cereal thrips and thunderstorms. Acta Phytopathologica et Entomologia Hungarica, vol. 39(1-3), 131-136.
  • MacDonald KM, Hamilton JGC, Jacobson R, Kirk WDJ. 2003. Analysis of anal droplets of the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis. Journal of Chemical Ecology, vol. 29(10), 2385-2389. doi>
  • Kirk WDJ and Terry LI. 2003. The spread of the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande). Agricultural and Forest Entomology, vol. 5(4), 301-310. doi>
  • MacDonald KM, Hamilton JGC, Jacobson R, Kirk WDJ. 2002. Effects of alarm pheromone on landing and take-off by adult western flower thrips. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata. doi>
  • Kirk WDJ. 2002. New information resources for bee research. Bee World, vol. 83(2), 61-68.
  • Murchie AK, Burn DJ, Kirk WDJ, Williams IH. 2001. A novel mechanism for time-sorting insect catches, and its use to derive the diel flight periodicity of brassica pod midge Dasineura brassicae (Diptera:Cecidomyiidae). Bulletin of Entomological Research, vol. 91(3), 199-203.
  • Kirk WDJ. 2001. Protecting microscope slides in the post. Antenna. Bulletin of the Royal Entomological Society, vol. 25(1), 6-7.
  • Breadmore KN and Kirk WDJ. 1998. Factors affecting floral herbivory in a limestone grassland. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, vol. 19(6), 501-506. link> doi>
  • Kirk W. 1997. Summer spectrum. NEW SCIENTIST, vol. 154(2081), U2. link>
  • Kirk WDJ. 1996. Plants for Bees. Oilseed rape (swede rape). BEE WORLD, vol. 77(3), 138-140.
  • Kirk W. 1996. Yellow loosestrife. BEE WORLD, vol. 77(4), 197-199. link>
  • Kirk WD, Ali M, Breadmore KN. 1995. The effects of pollen beetles on the foraging behaviour of honey bees. Journal of Apicultural Research, vol. 34(1), 15-22.
  • KIRK W. 1994. RECORDING THE COLORS OF POLLEN LOADS. BEE WORLD, vol. 75(4), 169-180. link>
  • KIRK W. 1993. INTERSPECIFIC SIZE AND NUMBER VARIATION IN POLLEN GRAINS AND SEEDS. BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, vol. 49(3), 239-248. link> doi>
  • SUTTON C, KEEGANS S, KIRK W, MORGAN E. 1992. Floral volatiles of Vicia faba. PHYTOCHEMISTRY, vol. 31(10), 3427-3428. doi>
  • KIRK W. 1991. THE SIZE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INSECTS AND THEIR HOSTS. ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, vol. 16(3), 351-359. link> doi>
  • KIRK W. 1991. FORAGING BEHAVIOR OF BEES. BEE WORLD, vol. 72(3), 142. link>
  • Kirk WDJ and Olaniran OA. Fighting behaviour of male western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande). Acta Phytopathologica et Entomologica Hungarica, vol. 47(1), 125-132. doi>
  • Kirk WDJ and Sampson C. Flower stage and position affect population estimates of the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), in Strawberry. Acta Phytopathologica et Entomologica Hungarica, vol. 47(1), 133-139. doi>
  • Holmes ND, Bennison JA, Maulden KA, Kirk WDJ. The pupation behaviour of the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande). Acta Phytopathologica et Entomologica Hungarica, 87-96.

Chapters

  • Kirk WDJ. 2002. The pest and vector from the West: Frankliniella occidentalis. In Thrips and Tospoviruses:Proceedings of the 7th International Symposium on Thysanoptera. Mound LA and Marullo R (Eds.). Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra.
  • Kirk WDJ. 1997. Feeding. In Thrips as Crop Pests. Wallingford: CAB International.

Other

  • Kirk WDJ. 2004. Apitherapy. A selected bibliography from Apicultural Abstracts 1990-2004.
  • Kirk WDJ. 2004. Bee breeding. A selected bibliography from Apicultural Abstracts 1990-2004.
  • Kirk WDJ. 2004. Beekeeping. A selected bibliography from Apicultural Abstracts 1990-2004.
  • Kirk WDJ. 2004. Pollination. A selected bibliography from Apicultural Abstracts 1990-2004.
  • Kirk WDJ. 2004. Tropical beekeeping. A selected bibliography from Apicultural Abstracts 1990-2004.
  • Kirk WDJ. 2004. Varroa and diseases. A selected bibliography from Apicultural Abstracts 1990-2004.
  • Bennison JA, Broadbent AB, Kirk WDJ, Maulden KA, Shipp JL. 2004. Western flower thrips pupation behaviour on greenhouse chrysanthemums and implications for integrated control. Proceedings of the XXII International Congress of Entomology - Strength in Diversity.
  • Kirk WDJ. 2001. S204 Biology:Uniformity and Diversity (Pollination).
  • KIRK W. 1995. Feeding behavior and nutritional requirements. THRIPS BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT (vol. 276, pp. 21-29). link>
  • KIRK W. 1988. ASSESSING THE EFFECTS OF FLOWER THRIPS. ACTA PHYTOPATHOLOGICA ET ENTOMOLOGICA HUNGARICA (vol. 23, pp. 295-300). link>
  • Hamilton JGC and Kirk WDJ. 2003. Method of monitoring/controlling Thysanoptera.
  • Kirk WDJ. Pollen Identification Cards.

  • LSC-0C006 Beekeeping for Beginners (Module Manager)

  • LSC-1C068 An Introduction to Bees and Beekeeping (Module Manager)

  • LSC-10031 Cell and Molecular Biology

  • LSC-10033 Ecology and Environment (Module Manager)

  • LSC-10037 Diversity of Life

  • LSC-20055 Life at the Extremes

  • LSC-20056 Research and Analytical Skills

  • LSC-30003 Applied Insect Ecology (Module Manager)

  • LSC-30004 Research Project (Biology)

  • LSC-30007 Dissertation for Biology