Thomas Auffray

• PhD
• PostDoc Position at Institute of Research for Development

Many blood-feeding arthropods use volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to detect their vertebrate hosts. The role of chemical interactions in mediating the behavior of hematophagous insects and ticks has been investigated before but remains poorly understood in hematophagous mesostigmatic mites. The poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae is an obligato...

Dioecious plants generally display sexual dimorphism in male and female floral traits, potentially attracting slightly different pollinator communities. The sharing of common floral visitors between male and female flowers and their timing of visits to both sexes is of critical importance to ensure plant's reproductive success. Palm inflorescences...

The Poultry Red Mite (PRM), Dermanyssus gallinae, is an obligate blood-sucking ectoparasite of economic importance in layer farms. Increasing acaricide resistance and strengthening of environmental policies make PRM control challenging and require alternative control tools. Whilst the general life cycle and habits of PRM are well established, deter...

Le palmier à huile africain Elaeis guineensis Jacqu. (Arecales : Arecaceae) est une plante tropicale d’intérêt économique et la première source mondiale d’huile végétale. La production d’huile dépend de la pollinisation par des charançons du genre Elaeidobius (Coleoptera : Curculionidae). Ces insectes sont impliqués dans une relation mutualiste spé...

The pollination of two oil palm species, Elaeis guineensis Jacquin and Elaeis oleifera Cortés (Arecales: Arecaceae), depends on a mutualistic relation with insects, which use male inflorescences as a brood site, and visits female inflorescences lured by the emitted odor, which is similar to that of males. Although the activity of visiting the inflo...