Chemistry ecology and community of wasps associated with fig trees

• Grant number: 11/21485-7
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: March 05, 2012
• End date: April 01, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology
• Principal Investigator: Rodrigo Augusto Santinelo Pereira
• Grantee: Rodrigo Augusto Santinelo Pereira
• Visiting researcher: Finn Pierre Kjellberg
• Visiting researcher institution: Université Montpellier 2 , France
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: Ribeirão Preto

Abstract

In this event, Finn Kjellberg will do part of a major project we run in collaboration. This project focuses on chemistry ecology and community of wasps associated with Neotropical fig trees. Particularly, we will assess volatile substances (odors) related to pollinator attraction and study the floral structures that produce those odors (odor glands). The role of odor glands, however, is wider than pollination process, as other non-pollinating fig wasp species were selected to use odors as cue to locate the figs. Thus, the present proposal encompass key-questions on the fig - fig wasp mutualism, focusing on mutualistic interactions, as well as on the parasites of the mutualism. In this visit, we will perform field and lab activities to (1) collect odors released by figs of F. citrifolia, (2) to perform experiments to test the attractiveness of odors to different fig wasp species and (3) to study the morphology and chemistry nature of the substances produced by the odor glands in F. citrifolia (develop in collaboration with Dra. Simone de Pádua Teixeira of FCFRP-USP).Finn Kjellberg will give a speech for the two postgraduate programs in my institution (PG in Entomology and PG in Comparative Biology). During his visit, Finn Kjellberg will figure out as examiner on the thesis defense of my PhD student Larissa G. Elias and will join us in field excursions and discussion sections with my postgraduate students. In addition, he will visit the Botany Lab at Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto-USP, coordinated by Profa. Simone de Pádua Teixeira. (AU)

Scientific publications

(The scientific publications listed on this page originate from the Web of Science or SciELO databases. Their authors have cited FAPESP grant or fellowship project numbers awarded to Principal Investigators or Fellowship Recipients, whether or not they are among the authors. This information is collected automatically and retrieved directly from those bibliometric databases.)

FARACHE, F. H. A.; CRUAUD, A.; RASPLUS, J-Y; CEREZINI, M. T.; RATTIS, L.; KJELLBERG, F.; PEREIRA, R. A. S.. Insights into the structure of plant-insect communities: Specialism and generalism in a regional set of non-pollinating fig wasp communities. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, v. 90, n. SI, p. 49-59, JUL 2018. (07/06054-4, 11/21485-7, 04/10299-4, 15/06430-2, 08/03272-3, 15/25417-7)

FARACHE, F. H. A.; CRUAUD, A.; RASPLUS, J-Y; CEREZINI, M. T.; RATTIS, L.; KJELLBERG, F.; PEREIRA, R. A. S.. Insights into the structure of plant-insect communities: Specialism and generalism in a regional set of non-pollinating fig wasp communities. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, v. 90, p. 11-pg., 2018-07-01. (15/06430-2, 08/03272-3, 04/10299-4, 11/21485-7, 07/06054-4, 15/25417-7)