evolution and ecology division

Our research aims to understand the impact of global changes (anthropogenic and climatic) on insect diversity, abundance and ecology in the context of food security and public health. We are working on insect models with positive impacts on human well-being, such as pollinating insects, edible insects and natural enemies of insect pests, as well as negative impacts such as crop pests and vectors of mammalian parasites. The objectives are to identify the mechanisms underlying the responses of these insects to biotic and abiotic pressures, and to predict the impacts and feedbacks of global change from a management and conservation perspective. The main study sites are located in continental Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.

Our locations and partnerships :

Four main research areas are developed within our pole :

Ecology of insects with production or conservation concerns : changes in land use and climate change can affect the abundance, richness and diversity of insect populations with production or conservation concerns. In this context, we study the ecology of edible insects, the ecology of bees through experimental and empirical approaches as well as the impact of exotic pests on native insect populations, including parasitoids, and on native prey populations (Asian hornet – honey bee interaction).
Adaptation of insects to anthropogenic environments : certain anthropogenic actions lead to the reduction of natural habitats and the invasion of species that can affect agriculture and human health. In particular, we are studying host adaptation in parasitoids used in biological control, the evolution of diet adaptation in predators such as Coccinellidae, and the domiciliation processes of insect vectors of diseases.
Modelling the response of insects to global changes : in a context of global change, it is difficult to have models for predicting the individual and population response of insects. To address this, we model insect phenology (e.g. crop pests) and the spatio-temporal dispersal of insect populations based on experimental or participatory data on climate, landscape and cropping practices. We also use modelling in combination with field data as a decision support tool for environmental management and for the analysis of complex scenarios to be tested in the field such as the combination of multiple stresses.
Functional role of insects in agroecosystems : through their ecological functions, insects determine the dynamic balance of ecosystems. These services and dis-services are key to food security and human health. We study their resilience by jointly analysing the pollination services provided by insects and the dis-services related to pests in agricultural and anthropised systems.

Methodologies :

Field studies
- Survey of land use and landscape structure
- Long-term monitoring of populations
- Monitoring of insect movements in natura
- Field experiments and controlled conditions
- Participatory data collection through digital cooperation
Population genetics
- Mitochondrial and nuclear gene analysis
- Microsatellite locus analysis
- RADseq (Restriction site Associated DNA sequencing)
- Environmental demogenetics
Genomics and transcriptomics
- High-throughput DNA and RNA sequencing
- LC-MS-MS analyses (proteomics)
Behaviour and Electrophysiology
- Monitoring of insect behaviour by olfactometry and video recording
- Automatic monitoring (RFID) of insect ontogeny
- Extracellular olfaction and gustation
Modelling and Bioinformatics
- Statistical models for demogenetic inference
- Mechanistic models
- Individual-centred and Bayesian models
- Genome and transcriptome analysis, search for QTLs,…

IDEEV

Héloïse Bastide, Professor, Paris-Sud 11. Insect evolutionary genomics.	Paul-André Calatayud, Research Scientist, IRD. Interactions between plants, insect pests and parasitoids. Involved in research axes 1, 2 and 3.
Claire Capdevielle-Dulac, Engineer, IRD. Development and analysis of molecular markers.	Yves Carton, Senior Research Scientist Emeritus, CNRS. History of biological sciences, concerning entomology, Darwinism and innate immunity.
Lionel Garnery, Professor, Université Versailles Saint-Quentin en Yvelines.	Myriam Harry, Professor, Paris-Saclay. Phylogenomics and genomics of insect vectors, domiciliation processes.
Rémi Jeannette, Technician, IRD.	Laure Kaiser-Arnauld, Senior Research Scientist, CNRS. Interactions between insect pests and parasitoids and their use in biological control.
Philippe LeGall, Research Scientist, IRD. Ecology of edible insects.	Hélène, Legout, Engineer, CNRS. Development and implementation of techniques in molecular biology and eco-ethology, mainly involved in research axis 1.
Taiadjana Fortuna, Researcher, IRD. Plant-insect and host-parasitoid interactions. Involved in research axis 1, 2, and 4.	Nuambote, Ovide Yobila, PhD student, ABIES AgroParisTech, France. Mechanisms of maize resistance to an exotic pest. Involved in research axis 1.
Étienne Minaud, PhD student, ABIES, France. Ecology of the honey bee.	Alice Michel-Salzat, Professor, Université Paris Diderot. Evolution of the adaptation of the diet of predators such as Coccinellidae.
Florence Mougel, Professor, Paris-Saclay. Genetic and genomic approaches to insect adaptation.	François Rebaudo, Researcher, IRD. Insect responses to climate change.
Fabrice Requier, Research Scientist, IRD. Bee ecology and pollination service.	Malena Sibaja Leyton, PhD student, ED ABIES, AgroParisTech, France. Response of social bees to anthropogenic pressures.
Clémence Riva, postDoc, IRD. Pollination service provided by bees.	Sacha Revillon, PhD student, ED SDSV, Université Paris-Saclay, France. Role of the phenology of plants and their pests on their interactions.
Samuel Gornard, PhD student, ED Sciences de la nature et de l’Homme : évolution et écologie, MNHN, France. Genetic and physiologic elements implied in the virulence differentiation in two strains of the parasitoid wasp Cotesia typhae.	Alexia Mouchet, postDoc, IRD. Determinants of spatiotemporal dynamics of maize pests.
Élise Verrier, postDoc, IRD. Modelling honeybee colony resilience from field data.

Universidad de Los Andes

Stéphane Dupas, Research Scientist, IRD.

Environmental demogenetics of insects and plant diseases and enhancement of ecosystem services provided by agroecology, through participatory systems.