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Biology of ladybirds and invasion ecology

Ladybirds are remarkably popular for its conspicuous appearance and valued as predators of plant pests. Also they are known for their extraordinary sexual activity. One ladybird species, the harlequin, became a major invasive species. In our research, we study a wide range of topics, including ladybird coloration (heredity of coloration, phenotypic plasticity, antipredatory and protective function coloration), foraging ecology of ladybirds, toxicity of ladybirds for predators, microorganisms and other animals, sexual selection in ladybirds (male mating success dependence on the coloration, size and order of mating, paternity testing using molecular genetic techniques). We are also interested in faunistics and taxonomy of ladybirds and their phylogenetic relationships. We study phylogenetic relationships of ladybird species using molecular genetic techniques. We also deal with the spread of the harlequin (Harmonia axyridis). We study its impact on the diversity of native fauna, its presence in the vineyards and how this affects the quality of wine. Furthermore, we study biology, ecology and spread of other invasive species of insects in the Czech Republic and their food requirements and cold resistance.

Head: doc. RNDr. Oldřich Nedvěd, CSc.
e-mail: nedved@prf.jcu.cz
tel.: +420 387 772 253

Researchers:
MSc. Danny Haelewaters, Ph.D.
MSc. Muhammad Aslam

Collaborating institutions:
ENTÚ BC AV ČR, v.v.i.

Selected posters:
Fyziologický a reprodukční stav slunéček východních během podzimní migrace (Fiedler & Nedvěd 2016)
Rearing of Hippodamia variegata in laboratory changed its shape and size: a geometric morphometric study (Abdolahi Mesbah et al. 2016)
Fifty shades of the Harlequin ladybird and a sexually transmitted disease (Fiedler & Nedvěd 2016)
In vino veritas. A také hmyz (Nedvěd 2016)

References:
Aphidophaga.org
Kapitolky o havěti (Česká televize)
Česko zažívá mohutnou invazi cizokrajných berušek (Českobudějovický deník)
Páchnoucí a kousavá slunéčka vyluxujte a vyhoďte ven, radí odborník (iDNES)
Odstrašující puntíky – fungování výstražného zbarvení slunéček proti ptačím predátorům (Živa)

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