To mate or not to mate, that is (one of) the question(s)!

6th June 2025 4PM CET/10 AM EST

CE3C – Center for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute, University of Lisbon.

See the webinar at https://youtu.be/dY3GSMZGBJA

In spider mites, small herbivorous arthropods, multiple mating is prevalent, but the benefits thereof are unclear, given that only one male – the first – sires all offspring of a given female. So why should they mate more than once? In an attempt to unravel this puzzling phenomenon, we exposed mites to external factors, biotic and abiotic, that compromise mite fertility and found that the pattern of sperm use is more dynamic than originally thought. In this presentation I will guide you through our main findings about this topic and then jump from the biology of these small crop pests to the importance of the agroecosystem and how we can all contribute to the sustainability of the food system. 

Biosketch

Leonor is an evolutionary ecologist and she is mainly interested in how agricultural systems are shaped by evolutionary forces. She has been tackling this issue from different perspectives, from the adaptive potential of herbivores to respond to multiple stressors (e.g. pesticides and high temperatures) to how interactions between organisms (e.g., plant-herbivore) are shaped by such stressors. She also keeps a line of research focused on sexual interactions, particularly exploring what are the environmental stresses that influence mating system evolution. She works with spider mites (and sometimes with fruit flies)  in the laboratory, with some occasional visits to agricultural fields.
Apart from her research, she also dedicates some time to outreach activities and she is currently participating in a EU project that aims at fostering bridges between farmers, consumers and policy makers.

EvoKE webinars are held on the first Friday of every month at 4 PM CET/10 AM EST (check here other time zones)