D. Bonte

Drivers of plant-associated invertebrate community structure in West-European coastal dunes

The paper investigates factors driving invertebrate community structure in West-European coastal dunes, finding biogeography and marram grass characteristics are key drivers.

Urban Cepaea nemoralis snails are less likely to have nematodes trapped within their shells

The paper examines how urbanization affects nematode trapping in Cepaea nemoralis snails, finding reduced encapsulation rates and a link between snail size and nematode presence.

A successional shift enhances stability in ant symbiont communities

This study shows that succession in ant symbiont communities increases stability by making the community more even.

Interspecific transfer of genetic information through polyploid bridges

This study models how polyploidy facilitates gene flow between diploid species by acting as a bridge, showing that increased recombination can enhance allele sorting and overcome species barriers.

Unravelling arthropod movement in natural landscapes: small-scale effects of body size and weather conditions

This study investigates how body size and weather conditions affect arthropod movement at habitat boundaries, finding that speed and direction depend on these factors and reflect active behavior.

A metabolic perspective on polyploid invasion and the emergence of life histories: insights from a mechanistic model

The paper develops a mechanistic model to explore how metabolic efficiency influences polyploid invasion and coexistence with diploid ancestors in plants.

The duplication of genomes and gene regulatory networks and its potential for evolutionary adaptation and survival

This study shows that duplicated gene regulatory networks increase signal output variation, enabling polyploid populations to better survive environmental upheaval, but may be maladaptive in stable environments.

Strong gene flow across an urbanised coastal landscape in a dune specialist digger wasp

This study assesses genetic connectivity in the dune-specialist wasp Bembix rostrata across an urbanised coastal landscape, finding urban features facilitate gene flow despite larger-scale fragmentation.

Asymmetrical gene flow between coastal and inland dunes in a threatened digger wasp

This study examines gene flow asymmetry between coastal and inland dune habitats of the digger wasp Bembix rostrata, finding stronger genetic structure in inland populations and directional gene flow from coast to inland.

Interacting host modifier systems control Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility in a haplodiploid mite

This study identifies host modifier systems that suppress Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility in Tetranychus mites, revealing complex genetic interactions and maternal effects.

Biomorphogenic feedbacks and the spatial organisation of a dominant grass steer dune development

The paper reviews biotic and physical interactions affecting marram grass and their role in dune development, emphasizing spatial organization and its importance for coastal protection.

Honest cues contribute to male choice for female guarding in a herbivorous spider mite.

The paper shows male spider mites prefer females closer to sexual maturity and with higher fecundity, but cannot identify the specific cues used for this choice.

Genetically diverse populations spread faster in benign but not in challenging environments

The paper experiments with genetically diverse and inbred mite populations to assess their spread rates in different habitats, finding that genetic diversity enhances spread in benign but not challenging environments.

Diapause is not selected as a bet-hedging strategy in insects: a meta-analysis of reaction norm shapes

This study analyzes diapause reaction norms across 60 studies to assess bet-hedging strategies in insects, finding limited variance among offspring and weak correlation with environmental predictability.

Belowground plant-plant signaling of root infection by nematodes

The paper investigates belowground plant-plant communication triggered by root nematode infection, finding that nematode-free roots emit signals leading to compensatory growth in neighboring plants.

Individual heterogeneity and its importance for metapopulation dynamics.

The paper tests how landscape connectedness and phenotypic spatial organization affect metapopulation dynamics in spider mites, finding that self-organizing phenotypic structures improve persistence despite theoretical expectations.

Evolutionary history determines population spread rate in a stochastic, rather than in a deterministic way

The study shows that population spread rates in spider mites are influenced more by evolutionary history than by habitat connectedness.

Body size and tree species composition determine variation in prey consumption in a forest-inhabiting generalist predator

This study shows that body size and tree species composition influence prey consumption in orb-weaving spiders, with larger spiders consuming larger prey and tree diversity affecting prey richness.

Where have all the spiders gone? Observations of a dramatic population density decline in the once very abundant garden spider, Araneus diadematus (Araneae: Araneidae), in the Swiss midland

The paper documents a significant decline in garden spider population density in the Swiss midland, linked to the loss of flying insect prey.

Unravelling ant-symbiont network topology across Europe

This study analyzes ant-symbiont networks in Europe to identify ecological and evolutionary drivers of host specificity and symbiont diversity across different symbiotic types.

Habitat loss and fragmentation increase realized predator-prey body size ratios

The paper models how habitat fragmentation affects predator-prey body size ratios by considering both top-down and bottom-up ecological forces.

Performance in a novel environment subject to ghost competition.

The study shows that the initial presence of a ghost competitor increases the fecundity of a more successful species for at least 25 generations in a novel environment.

Life history and dispersal timing evolve in response to metapopulation connectedness

The paper shows that lower metapopulation connectedness leads to increased starvation resistance and delayed dispersal in spiders, with local selection shaping intrinsic growth rates through transgenerational plasticity or epigenetics.

The role of preadaptation, propagule pressure and competition in the colonization of new habitats

This study tests how propagule pressure, preadaptation, and competition affect colonization success using spider mites, finding that these factors positively influence colonization outcomes.

Interspecific plant competition mediates the metabolic and ecological signature of a plant-herbivore interaction under warming and elevated CO2

The paper shows that interspecific plant competition alters the metabolic responses of plants to climate change, neutralizing some effects of elevated CO2 and temperature on plant defense and nutrient content.

The distinct phenotypic signatures of dispersal and stress in an arthropod model: from physiology to life history

The paper examines metabolic and life-history differences between dispersing and resident spider mites under stress, finding no interaction between dispersal and stress exposure.

The importance and adaptive value of life history evolution for metapopulation dynamics

The paper uses systems modeling to show that spatial forcing has a greater impact on metapopulation demography than life history evolution, but evolution still significantly affects population sizes and extinction rates.

Information use during movement regulates how fragmentation and loss of habitat affect body size.

The paper models how information use during movement affects body size responses to habitat fragmentation and loss, showing informed settlement favors larger sizes while random settlement favors smaller sizes.

Size-dependent movement explains why bigger is better in fragmented landscapes

The paper shows that in fragmented landscapes, larger species dominate due to size-dependent movement, which optimizes resource uptake and affects community stability.

A simple spatially explicit neutral model explains range size distribution of reef fishes

The paper uses a spatially explicit neutral model to show dispersal ability explains range size variation in reef fishes.