Marcelo Christian

Research Interest

In this research project, I investigate the neurobiological basis of intraspecific communication in crickets and how neonicotinoid insecticides may affect their ability to produce and recognize species-specific songs for mate finding. I will combine behavioural and anatomical analysis with electrophysiology in different cricket species to better understand the evolution of communication in crickets. Moreover, I aim to investigate, how sublethal doses of neonicotinoids may impair their communication system, to better understand the effects of this globally extensively used agricultural pest control on nontarget insects.

In my previous projects, I have studied orientation behaviour by landmark learning in desert ants and also the hunting behaviour in subsocial crab spiders and highly specialized ant-hunting cobweb spiders.