Plants and insects represent more than 80% of the earth’s biodiversity. My curiosity about the incredibly diverse and complex interactions between plants and insects was first triggered during a project on tritrophic interactions between plants, herbivore and parasitoids. Since then, parasitoids and their fascinating biology lead me on an increasingly complex route from tritrophic interactions to community ecology. More precisely, I am interested in the evolution of natural communities and particularly in how communities are affected by invasion processes.

 

Another dimension to my research is the study of Wolbachia-like bacterial endosymbionts known to manipulate their host reproduction to increase their own fitness. While such symbionts have a clear influence on their host’s populations dynamics, I am interested in the routes by which they spread into insect communities.

 

In an attempt to understand the incredible complexity of plant-insects-endysymbionts systems, I am using a combination of tools such as: behavioural ecology, chemical ecology, population genetics and phylogenetic analysis.