Social Insects Research Group - SIRG

Congratulations to Emeritus Professor Robin Crewe in Zoology and Entomology, who has been awarded the 2026 John F.W. Herschel Medal, the highest honour from the Royal Society of South Africa (RSSAf). This prestigious award recognizes Prof Crewe's outstanding contributions to the fields of zoology and entomology, especially in the study chemical ecology of social insects.

The John F.W. Herschel Medal is awarded biennially to recognize significant achievements in the natural sciences, engineering, or technology. Prof Crewe's work has had a profound impact on our understanding of insect behaviour and honey bee social behaviour, and this award is a testament to his dedication to scientific research and excellence.

As a renowned expert in his field, Prof Crewe has made significant contributions to the scientific community, including his work as a researcher, educator, and science leader.

Throw back to a few weeks when visisted us , in attendance the VC Francis William Petersen , Prof Abdullahi Yusuf, Prof Christian Pirk and some of the members of our reserach group.

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SIRG was well represented recently at the ESSA conference 2025 held at the University of Free state.

With Goratileone Oepeng and Lerato Maupi, both MSc students presenting their masters projects.

What if we could manage tsetse flies?
The culprit that is responsible for carrying trypanosomes which in humans cause African sleeping sickness and in animals can cause Nagana all variants from acute to chronic and surra.

Science has no ending and below is a synopsis with a link to an article our research group has worked on! Scan the QR code for the full scientific article.

Join us Tomorrow for an information session on Horizon Europe Africa Initiative III – Focus on SA . Scan the QR in the poster to access registration .