Sille Holm

I was born and raised in the countryside and a close connection with nature has always been a central part of my life.

My academic journey began at the University of Tartu in Estonia, where I completed my Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral studies between 2006 and 2019. I am a tropical biologist and evolutionary ecologist, with a particular interest in caterpillar–plant interactions and the evolutionary dynamics underlying these relationships. My doctoral research focused on the comparative ecology of geometrid moths in temperate (Estonia) and tropical region (Uganda) forests (Holm et al. 2019; Holm et al. 2022). Following my PhD, I continued as a postdoctoral researcher in Finland (2019–2021), where I joined a project investigating how plant–caterpillar–parasitoid food webs recover during forest restoration (Korkiatupa et al. 2023).

From 2022 to 2024, I transitioned into the private sector, serving as Chief Science Officer. In this role, I focused on fostering collaboration between academia and industry through a range of applied research projects.

In parallel with my main research and working at the private sector, I led a Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) laboratory at University of Tartu from 2017 to 2024, exploring sustainable methods for insect rearing aimed at food and feed production in Estonia (Opare, Holm and Esperk 2024; Opare et al. 2023; Opare, Holm and Esperk 2022).

As of January 2025, I have joined the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) as a researcher in the Evolving Networks Lab. My current work continues to center on caterpillar–plant interactions, with a particular focus on how these relationships evolve across time and space with special interest in Atlantic Rainforest species in Brazil.

Research in the Evolving Networks Lab centers around understanding how species interactions change over time and space, with special focus on evolution of plant-caterpillar interactions in temperate and tropical forest.

2023–… Course leader for Tropical Biology LTOM.04.005, University of Tartu.

Opare, L.O.; Holm, S.; Esperk, T. (2024). Interaction effects of substrate fermentation and larval density on black soldier fly life-history traits. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed, 1−12. DOI: 10.1163/23524588-00001188.

Korkiatupa, E.; Malinga, G. M.; Nakadai, R.; Nyafwono, M.; Akite, P.; Holm, S.; van Goor, W.; Kigenyi, R.; Valtonen, A. (2023). Recovery patterns in community composition of fruit-feeding butterflies following 26 years of active forest restoration. Ecosphere, 14 (5), ARTN e4514. DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4514.

Opare, L. O.; Meister, H.; Holm, S.; Kaasik, A.; Esperk, T. (2023). High larval densities and high temperatures lead to a stronger immune response in the black soldier fly. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed, 9 (9), 1177−1186. DOI: 10.3920/JIFF2022.0109.

Holm, S.; Kaasik, A.; Javois, J.; Molleman, F.; Ounap, E.; Tammaru, T. (2022). A comparative study on insect longevity: tropical moths do not differ from their temperate relatives. Evolutionary Ecology. DOI: 10.1007/s10682-021-10150-9.

Opare, L.O.; Holm, S.; Esperk, T. (2022). Temperature-modified density effects in the black soldier fly: low larval density leads to large size, short development time and high fat content. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed, 8 (7), 783−802. DOI: 10.3920/JIFF2021.0147.

Monikh, F. A.R; Holm, S.; Kortet, R.; Bandekar, M.; Kekäläinen, J.; Koistinen, A; Leskinen, J. T.T.; Akkanen, J.; Huuskonen, H.; Valtonen, A.; Dupuis, L.; Peijnenburg, W.; Lynch, I.t; Valsami- Jones, E.; Kukkonen, J.V.K. (2022). Quantifying the trophic transfer of sub-micron plastics in an assembled food chain. Nano Today, 46, 101611. DOI: 10.1016/j.nantod.2022.101611.

Holm, S.; Javoiš, J.; Molleman, F.; Davis, R. B.;Õunap, E.; Roininen, H.; Tammaru, T. (2019). No Indication of High Host-Plant Specificity in Afrotropical Geometrid Moths. Journal of Insect Science, 19 (3). DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iez028.

Holm,S.; Javoiš, J.; Kaasik, A.; Õunap, E.; Davis,R. B.; Molleman, F.; Roininen, H., and Tammaru, T. (2019). Size-related life-history traits in geometrid moths: a comparison of a temperate and a tropical community. Ecological Entomology. DOI: 10.1111/een.12747

Leonard Owuraku Opare, Doctor's Degree, 2024, (sup) Toomas Esperk; Sille Holm, Rearing density effects on a commercially important insect species, University of Tartu, Faculty of Science and Technology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences

Kerli Kuusk, PhD student, (sup) Tiit Teder; Sille Holm; Toomas Esperk, Crowding effects in insect life histories: from phylogenetic meta-analyses to industrial applications, University of Tartu, Faculty of Science and Technology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences

Eveliina Korkiatupa, PhD student, (sup) Anu Valtonen; Sille Holm, Recovery of biodiversity after
tropical rainforest restoration, University of Tartu, Faculty of Science and Technology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences; University of Eastern Finland