Shao Xiong Chui
Research Department Life Science Systems
Technische Universität München
Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2
D-85354 Freising-Weihenstephan
Room: 1.2.1.8
Phone: +49 (0) 8161 71-4236
ORCID: 0000-0002-9230-8058
Research blog: Sundaic Stingless Bees [work in progress]
Research interests
Foraging Ecology; Behavioral Ecology; Natural History
What started out as a Bachelor's project to sort out the taxonomy of stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) in Singapore consequently led to the realisation that stingless bees, as a speciose, highly-social group, would make for a great model organism in the areas of biology and ecology. From bee-bee nest interactions and social dynamics, to cohesive colony characters on resource foraging preferences, there are still many more layers to peel back in the understanding of this group of important tropical bee pollinators. With stingless bees as the choice of model organism, I subsequently returned to my interest in flower-visitor interactions in the form of a Master's project in the pollen foraging preferences of stingless bees in an urban garden. At present, my research in stingless bee foraging ecology (plant-insect interactions) continues for this PhD.
Foraging ecology is my main research interest as it allows for the exploration and understanding of the complex and often dynamic interactions between insects and the plants that they rely on. Stingless bees are my chosen group for research as apart from honey bees, stingless bees are the only other group of highly eusocial bees. More speciose than honey bees, stingless bees are great for the study of foraging ecology across divergent groups attuned to the collection of similar resources in tropical rainforests.
My current project:
1) Spatial distribution and availability of dipterocarp resin sources and their chemical redundancy in stingless bees; 2) proportion of resin and wax in stingless bee cerumen (nest material) used to construct various nest structures and their associated microbial communities.
Curriculum Vitae
01/2020-present PhD student, Technische Universität München
01/2017-08/2019 Master of Science (Research) in Life Sciences, National University of Singapore
11/2015-11/2016 Lab Research Assistant, National University of Singapore
08/2011-05/2015 Bachelor of Science (Life Sciences, Environmental Biology), National University of Singapore
Publications
Chui, S.X., Wahab, R.B.H.A. & Leonhardt, S.D. Stingless bee (Apidae: Meliponini) foraging and predation at trunk resin sources: Rare observations captured with microcontroller-based camera traps in a lowland dipterocarp forest. Insect. Soc. (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-022-00889-x
Ascher, J. S., Soh, Z. W. W., Chui, S. X., Soh, E. J. Y., Ho, B. M., Lee, J. X. Q., & Ong, X. R. (2022). The bees of Singapore (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila): First comprehensive country checklist and conservation assessment for a Southeast Asian bee fauna. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 70, 39-64.
Chui, S. X., Keller, A., Leonhardt, S. D. (2021). Functional resin use in solitary bees. Ecological Entomology, DOI: 10.1111/een.13103.
Quek, Z. B. R., Chui, S. X., Lam, W. N., Fung, T. K., Sivasothi, N. (2020). Autecology of the common fishtail palm, Caryota mitis (Arecaceae), in Singapore. Botany Letters, DOI: 10.1080/23818107.2020.1717612.
Yong, G. W. J., Soh, Z. W. W., Chui, S. X., Chan, A. A. Q., Ascher, J. S. (2019). Insect visitors to flowers of cultivated Ardisia elliptica Thub. (Myrsinaceae) and Memecylon caeruleum Jack (Melastomataceae) in Singapore. Nature in Singapore, 12, 75-80.
Ascher, J. S., Soh, Z. W. W., Ho, B. M., Lee, R. Y. Y., Leong, A. Q. E., Chui, S. X., … Soh, E. J. Y. (2019). Bees of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and vicinity. Gardens’ Bulletin Singapore, 71(suppl.1), 245–271.
Soh, E. J. Y., Soh, Z. W. W., Chui, S. X., & Ascher, J. S. (2016). The bee tribe Anthidiini in Singapore (Anthophila: Megachilidae: Anthidiini) with notes on the regional fauna. Nature in Singapore, 9, 49–62.
Ascher, J. S., Heang, P., Kheam, S., Ly, K., Lorn, S., Chui, S. X., … Phauk, S. (2016). A report on the bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) of Cambodia. Cambodian Journal of Natural History, 23.