Wildlife at the Watering Hole - March 2026 - Dr Anastasia Shavrova

No job too small: a pseudoscorpion story

Dr Anastasia Shavrova

Pseudoscorpions are tiny, fast-moving arthropods found everywhere from leaf litter to old books, yet they remain surprisingly understudied. These harmless predators can take down prey far larger than themselves, making them intriguing candidates for biological pest control. This talk explores Sydney’s pseudoscorpions, their unusual behaviours (including hitchhiking on flying insects), and emerging research into their potential role in protecting bee colonies—without harming bees.

Meet our speaker:

Anastasia is an evolutionary biologist and Lecturer at the University of New South Wales school of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences. Her research focuses on the evolution of reproductive strategies and sexual conflict, using arachnids as a model system. She completed her undergraduate and master’s degrees at Queen’s University, Canada, and her PhD at UNSW. Alongside her research, she is an active science communicator, producing the podcast Convos with Chordates and engaging public audiences through radio and major science and arts festivals.