I became interested in natural history at a young age. I grew up in Clare, in the west of Ireland, having moved there from England when I was two. I knew that I wanted to be a zoologist from an early age, and was fortunate enough to be growing up in an area where local biodiversity is impressive.

The Shannon Airport Lagoon was my local site, and the Clare coast, including Loop Head, Quilty and Ballyvaughan Bay were regular haunts. Inland, the south Clare lakes, and the Shannon Estuary provided a wide range of bird species. I was greatly influenced by Phil Brennan, who in addition to being a wonderful natural historian, is an acclaimed artist and author.

I have a first class degree in zoology and a PhD in evolutionary biology from Imperial College. I am now head of Environmental Biology at the University of Reading. For more details of my research, see below.

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My Photography

I have been using SLR cameras since my early teens; my first was a Cosina CT1G. I use Nikon cameras (currently a D300), and process all images through Adobe Lightroom, Nikon Capture NX and Adobe Photoshop CS2.

My main bird photography lens is a Sigma 500mm F4.5 IF EX HSM telephoto. Some bird shots and many of the mammal images are taken with a Sigma 100-300mm F4 IF EX HSM lens, with a dedicated 1.4X EX Sigma converter when needed. I use a Gitzo 3540LS carbon fibre tripod and an Arca Swiss Z1 ball-head for this work - light and portable, but rock-solid.

The majority of macro shots were taken using a micro Nikkor 105mm VR AF-S IF-ED (great for handheld shots), and I also use a Sigma 180mm EX DG HSM macro lens (needs a tripod, but superb for more flightly insects). I regularly use a Sigma EM-140 DG macro flash unit, or a Sigma EF500 Super flashgun with Stofen diffuser, for macro lighting and fill-in flash. I occasionally use Kenko extension tubes for ultra close-up work. I use a Manfrotto PROB 055 tripod with Manfrotto MN468 hydrostatic ball-head. This set up allows me to position my camera at any angle, which is excellent for low level work.

If necessary, I use a monopod or large beanbag for stability, and for carrying all this stuff I use a range of LowePro bags. For traveling Iight I use a Nikkor 70-300 VR AF-S IF-ED telephoto. A Nikkor AF-S DX 18-70mm is my general purpose lens, I also use a Nikkor 50mm F1.8D, and a Sigma 10-20mm EX DC HSM ultra-wide angle lens, but these are rarely used for wildlife shots.

All photographs are ©Mark Fellowes. I am represented by Ardea, a specialist wildlife photographic library.

My Website

This website is intended to be a place where I can share a sample of my natural history photographs. The galleries contain images taken since I switched to digital photography in 2004 (some scanned older images are also included), and the majority are more recent. They include photographs from near annual spring trips to Andalucía, and images from my annual trips to Tanjung Puting in Borneo, where I run a tropical biology field course for undergraduate students. The galleries are organized around either geographic location, or by taxonomic group. The majority of images are close-up photographs of invertebrates, birds and mammals.

Where I work

I am a zoologist working at the University of Reading. As well as being fascinating in their own right, the study of animals is increasingly important in this changing world. My work focuses on asking why genetic variation in traits that affects species interactions (for example, predator-prey; host-parasitoid) is maintained in natural populations, and what the ecological consequences of this variation is.

My publications

Book
Fellowes, M.D.E., Holloway, G.J. & Rolff, J. (Eds.) 2005 Insect Evolutionary Ecology. CABI Publishing, Wallingford.

Refereed Papers

Submitted and in press
Fellowes, M.D.E. Genes and environment influence pea aphid escape behavior. Journal of Insect Behavior

Hazell, S.P. and Fellowes, M.D.E. Clonal variation affects the structure of the natural enemy assemblage attacking an insect herbivore. Ecological Entomology, in press.

Gwynn, D.M., Callaghan, A., Walters, K.F.A. & Fellowes, M.D.E. Life-history traits do not vary among pea aphid colour morphs. Ecological Entomology

Printes, L. B., Fellowes, M.D.E. & Callaghan, A. Clonal variation in acetylcholinesterase biomarkers and life history traits following OP exposure in Daphnia magna. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, in press.


Published

Hazell, S.P., Vel, T. & Fellowes, M.D.E. 2008 The role of exotic plants in the invasion of Seychelles by the polyphagous insect Aleurodicus disperses: a phylogenetically controlled analysis. Biological Invasions 10, 169-175

Libbrecht, R, Gwynn, D.M. & Fellowes, M.D.E. 2007 Aphidius ervi preferentially attacks the green morph of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. Journal of Insect Behavior 20, 25-32.

Hazell, S.P., McClintock, I.A.D. & Fellowes, M.D.E. 2006 Intraspecific heritable variation in life-history traits can alter the outcome of interspecific competition among insect herbivores. Basic and Applied Ecology 7, 215-223.

Gwynn, D.M., Callaghan, A., Gorham, J., Walters, K.F.A. & Fellowes, M.D.E. 2005 Resistance is costly: trade-offs between immunity, fecundity and survival in the pea aphid. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B 272, 1803-1808.

Hazell, S.P., Wenlock, C., Bachel, S. & Fellowes, M.D.E. 2005 The costs and consequences of parasitoid attack for the predatory hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus. Evolutionary Ecology Research 7, 669-679.

Hazell, S.P., Gwynn, D.M., Ceccarelli, S. & Fellowes, M.D.E. 2005 Competition and dispersal in the pea aphid: clonal variation and correlations across traits. Ecological Entomology 30, 293-298.

Müller, C.B., Fellowes, M.D.E. & Godfray, H.C.J. 2005 Relative importance of fertilizer addition and exclusion of predators for aphid growth in the field. Oecologia 139, 419-427.

Stacey, D.A., Thomas, M.B., Blanford, S., Pell, J. K., Pugh, C. & Fellowes, M.D.E. 2003 Genotype and temperature influence pea aphid resistance to a fungal entomopathogen. Physiological Entomology 28, 75-81.

Stacey, D.A. & Fellowes, M.D.E. 2002 Influence of temperature on pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) resistance to natural enemy attack. Bulletin of Entomological Research 92, 351-357.

Stacey, D.A. & Fellowes, M.D.E. 2002 Influence of elevated CO2 on interspecific interactions at higher trophic levels. Global Change Biology 8, 668-678.

Stacey, D.A. & Fellowes, M.D.E. 2002 Does the relationship between temperature and development rate vary across thrips populations? European Journal of Entomology 99, 399-404.

Morris, R.M. & Fellowes, M.D.E. 2002 Learning and natal host influence host choice behaviour in a pupal parasitoid. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 51, 386-393.

Fellowes, M.D.E. & Hutcheson, K.A. 2001 Flies in the face of adversity. Biologist 48, 75-78.

Collins, C.M., Fellowes, M.D.E., Sage, R.B., & Leather, S.R. 2001 Host selection and performance of the giant willow aphid, Tuberolachnus salignus (Gmelin) - Implications for pest management. Agricultural and Forest Entomology 3, 183-189.

Fellowes, M.D.E. & Travis, J.M.J. 2000 Linking host-parasitoid coevolutionary and population dynamics. Population Ecology 42, 195-203.

Fellowes, M.D.E. & Godfray, H.C.J. 2000 The evolutionary ecology of resistance to parasitoids by Drosophila. Heredity 84, 1-8.

Leather, S.R., Cooke, R.C.A., Fellowes, M.D.E. & Rombe, R. 1999 Distribution and occurrence of Coccinellids in non-crop habitats. European Journal of Entomology 96, 23-27.

Fellowes, M.D.E., Kraaijeveld, A.R. & Godfray, H.C.J. 1999 Association between feeding rate and parasitoid resistance in Drosophila melanogaster. Evolution 53, 1303-1305.

Fellowes, M.D.E., Kraaijeveld, A.R. & Godfray, H.C.J. 1999 The cost of defence by Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera, Drosophilidae) against attack by the parasitoid Asobara tabida (Hymenoptera, Braconidae). Journal of Evolutionary Biology 12, 123-128.

Fellowes, M.D.E., Kraaijeveld, A.R. & Godfray, H.C.J. 1999 Cross-resistance following artificial selection for increased defense against parasitoids in Drosophila melanogaster. Evolution 53, 966-972.

Fellowes, M.D.E., Compton, S.G. & Cook, J.M. 1999 Sex allocation and local mate competition in Old World parasitic fig-wasps. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 46, 95-102.

Leather, S.R., Beare, J.A., Cooke, R.C.A. & Fellowes, M.D.E. 1998 Are differences in life history parameters of the pine beauty moth Panolis flammea modified by host plant quality or gender? Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 87, 237-243.

Fellowes, M.D.E., Masnatta, P., Kraaijeveld, A.R. & Godfray, H.C.J. 1998 Pupal parasitoid attack influences the relative fitness of Drosophila that have encapsulated larval parasitoids. Ecological Entomology 23, 281-284.

Fellowes, M.D.E., Kraaijeveld, A.R. & Godfray, H.C.J. 1998 Trade-offs constraining the evolution of Drosophila melanogaster defence against attack by the parasitoid Leptopilina boulardi. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B 265, 1553-1558.

Fellowes, M.D.E. & Kraaijeveld, A.R. 1998 Coping with multiple enemies - the evolution of defence and host-parasitoid community structure. Ecology Letters 1, 8-10.

Fellowes, M.D.E. 1998 Do non-social insects get the (kin) recognition they deserve? Ecological Entomology 23, 223-227.

Leather, S.R., Fellowes, M.D.E., Hayman, G.R.F. & Maxen, J.S. 1997 The influence of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) provenance on the development and survival of the pine beauty moth Panolis flammea (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). Bulletin of Entomological Research 87, 75-80.

Book Chapters

Fellowes, M.D.E., van Alphen, J.J.M. & Jervis, M. 2005 The foraging behaviour of insect natural enemies. In (Pp. 1-71) Insects as Natural Enemies: A Practical Perspective 2nd Edition (Ed. M. Jervis). Kluwer: Dordrecht.

Godfray, H.C.J., Fellowes, M.D.E. & Kraaijeveld, A.R. 2004 Coevolution of resistance and virulence in host-parasitoid interactions. In K. M. Heinz, R. Frisbie & C. Bográn, (eds.): Challenges within Entomology: A Celebration of the Past 100 Years and a Look to the Next Century. Texas A&M University Press: Texas.

Fellowes, M.D.E., Holloway, G.J. & Rolff, J. (2005) Insect Evolutionary Ecology. In Insect Evolutionary Ecology (eds. M.D.E. Fellowes, G.J. Holloway & J. Rolff). CABI Wallingford.

Conference Proceedings

Fellowes, M.D.E. 1998 Trade-offs and the evolution of host resistance to parasitoid attack. In: Proceedings of the VI European Congress of Entomology (eds.V. Brunnhofer & T. Soldan). Institute of Entomology: Czech Republic.

Other Publications

Callaghan, A. & Fellowes, M.D.E. 2003 Garden Entomology. Pp. 12. RES/Daily Telegraph.

Fellowes, M.D.E. & Callaghan, A. 2004 Garden Entomology (second edition). Pp. 24. RES/The Times.