Plant and Invertebrate Ecology

Insect Behaviour

A honeybee equipped with a radar transponder

This programme incorporates basic and strategic research on insect behavioural ecology and on multitrophic interactions to underpin the development of novel strategies for both pest control and the conservation and management of beneficial insects and entomopathogens within agricultural and apicultural systems. Work focuses on foraging behaviour and the behavioural and ecological interactions between species. Major achievements in basic studies include: elucidation of intra-guild interactions between different natural enemies within multitrophic systems; demonstration of emergence conditioning and sequential memory of learned responses in aphid parasitoids; demonstration that pollen colour, odour and amino acid content provide foraging cues to pollen-feeding insects and influence their dietary preferences; use of harmonic radar to quantify the spatial distribution of bumble bee foragers and characterise the flight paths of individual butterflies. Achievements in strategic and applied research include: successful use of pheromones to manipulate parasitoids in sustainable aphid management systems in arable crops; development of a model to predict levels of bee-mediated gene flow in the field; formulation of biocontrol application guidelines against the parasitic mite Varroa destructor based on detailed studies of honey bee virus epidemiology. Scientific challenges include: integrate molecular and ecological approaches to elucidate the spatio-temporal genetic structure of beneficial organism populations; identify functional genomic regions in beneficial Hymenopterans; determine the influence of spatial scale on conservation biocontrol and 'push-pull' pest management strategies; integrate work on insect functional biodiversity with botanical research within the PIE Department.

Staff and their interests

Use of semiochemicals in behavioural manipulation of pests and beneficials towards integrated pest management (particularly in 'push-pull' strategies); Behavioural ecology of coleopteran pests of oilseed rape and their parasitoids; Olfactometry; Pollen: nutrition and resource location/selection by pollen feeding insects including honey bees.

Mr Andrew Ferguson

Behavioural ecology of insect pests and parasitoids in oilseed rape: spatial and temporal dynamics of pests and parasitoids at different scales; influence of host plant characters on insect movement and distribution. The effects of oilseed rape crop husbandry (tillage, cultivar, insecticide usage) on conservation biological control and biodiversity.

Study of the ecology, behaviour and movement of bees and other pollinators in relation to the landscape. Consequences of pollinator behaviour on pollen flow within and between crops, and within and between wild plants, in the arable landscape.

Dr Judith Pell

Biology, ecology and exploitation of entomopathogenic fungi in biological control. Fundamental ecological studies which identify, quantify and manipulate the factors affecting the potential of these fungi to regulate pest populations are used to inform the development of strategies for their practical exploitation in biological control and integrated pest management.

Ladybird, ladybird: unravelling the story of an alien invader

National Capabilities

Rothamsted Research receives
strategic funding from the BBSRC

• BBSRC Institutes

• Babraham Institute
• Institute for Animal Health
• Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences
• Institute of Food Research
• John Innes Centre
• Rothamsted Research
• The Genome Analysis Centre
• The Roslin Institute