Research

General research interest

I am interested in all things relating to the behaviour and the ecology of social insects, particularly ants. Topics of interest include sociality, mate choice, colony foundation, dispersal, and the interplay between individual- and colony-level behaviours among others, as well as the effects of environmental changes (notably habitat fragmentation and global warming) on ants.

Main current research project

I currently work on a collaborative project on the ant Myrmecina graminicola, where one supergene determines queen morphology (winged vs apterous) while another one determines the colony social type (monogynous vs polygynous colonies). The project seeks to unravel the evolutionary history of these newly discovered supergenes, and what maintains these polymorphisms. Colleagues of the consortium study the structure and evolution of the supergenes. I’m involved in studies on mate choice, on the alternative strategies of colony foundation (prevalence and performance under varied environmental conditions), and in an eco-evolutionary model that aims to determine the conditions allowing for the maintenance of the polymorphisms.

Members of the ANR funded project “Social organization and dispersal: the dual role of a supergene in ants”:

Other collaborations