I have a track record of basic and applied research on pest Bactrocera and Ceratitis species in Australia and South Africa. This work has encompassed the behaviour, ecology and physiology of tephritid fruit flies, which has benefitted their sustainable management. In particular, he has contributed to optimising the use of the sterile insect technique for the suppression or eradication of tephritid fruit flies. He began working on fruit flies during his PhD studies at the University of Sydney, Australia. After being awarded the PhD in 2005, Dr Weldon continued his research on fruit flies as a postdoctoral fellow at Macquarie University, Australia (2006-2010) and Stellenbosch University (2010-2012), before commencing as a Lecturer in the Department of Zoology and Entomology at the University of Pretoria in 2012. Now a Senior Lecturer, his contribution to the field of tephritid biology and management has been recognised with a C2 researcher rating from the South African National Research Foundation in 2013, as well as an Exceptional Young Researcher Award by the University of Pretoria in 2014. His current research determines the thermal and water relations of tephritid and other fly species to understand their functional and behavioural responses to environmental conditions, establish whether tolerance of environmental extremes underlies their invasive potential, and to predict how climate change will influence their distribution. He has also commenced a project on the mechanisms and evolution of ageing in tephritid flies in collaboration with partners in South Africa, Germany and the United Kingdom.