[Genetics] seminar today

[Helmi Kuittinen]

Wellcome to the seminar today at 12.15 in PT302.
David Hughes: The behavioural ecology of Strepsipteran parasites of paper
wasps (Polistes)

See also the abstract of the talk:

The Strepsiptera are an order of obligately parasitic insects which infect
seven other orders of insects. Whilst species poor (692 known species) they
are of major interest because of their unique biology and life history.
Here I present an overview of Strepsiptera before focusing on the research
I carried out for my D.Phil. Specifically I will discuss prevalence of
parasitism within Polistes wasps (paper-wasps) from Italy and Mexico before
detailing the laboratory and field observations on the manipulation of host
behvaiour by this parasite and the energetic costs of parasitism. The
latter element draws attention to the factors shaping the evolution and
expression of virulence and posits the role that social insects societies
may play.