DAVID LÓPEZ IDIÁQUEZ

I am a behavioural and evolutionary ecologist interested in understanding why individuals behave in the way they do and the ultimate fitness consequences and proximate mechanisms of those behaviours.  I am keen on exploring the causes that generate individual variation in behavioural traits in the animal kingdom, regardless of the target species. Further, I also have a deep interest in exploring how individuals adapt to the fluctuating environmental conditions and the fitness consequences of the different life-history strategies present under those variable conditions.

Currently, I am working in the team of Claire Doutrelant studying the role and the evolution of the multiple signaling systems in birds. We aim to that by doing experiments in the wild and by analyzing long-term datasets using the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) as a model species. Further, we will also explore this topic in a broader fashion by conducting a comparative analysis.

For further information about myself and my research -> davididiaquez.wixsite.com/zurrimicle

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SCI-indexed papers:

López-Idiáquez, D., Canal, D., Calleja, I., Frade, A., Sarasola, J.H. First record of shrimp consumption by the Chimango caracara (Milvago chimango). Journal of Raptor Research. 53:436-437 (Link)

López-Idiáquez, D., Fargallo, J.A., López-Rull, I., Martínez-Padilla, J. Plumage colouration and personality in early-life: sexual differences in signalling. IBIS. 161:216-221 (Link)

López-Idiáquez, D., Vergara, P., Fargallo, J.A., Martínez-Padilla, J. Providing longer Post-fledgling dependence periods increases offspring survival at the expense of future fecundity. PLoS One. 13(9) e0203152. (Link)

​López-Arrabé, J., López-Idiáquez, D., Serrano-Davies, E., Payo, A., Badás, E.P., Espinosa, A.R., Mellado, A., Ruiz-Castellano, C., Ruiz-Raya, F., Meseguer, A., Bastianelli, G., Donoso, I., Ferraguti, M., Weisshaupt, N., Ceresa, F. PhD Dissertations Reviews in Ornithology (2017-2018 Academic Year). Ardeola. 65:69-90 (Link)

Martínez-Padilla, J*.,López-Idiáquez, D*., López-Perea, J.J., Mateo, R., Paz, A., Viñuela, J. A Negative association between bromadiolone exposure and nestling body condition in common kestrels: management implications for vole outbreaks. Pest Management Science. 73:364-370 (* Joint first authorship) (Link)

López-Idiáquez, D., Vergara, P., Fargallo, J.A., Martínez-Padilla, J. Female plumage colouration signals status to conspecifics. Animal Behaviour.121:101-106 (Link)

López-Idiáquez, D., Vergara, P., Fargallo, J.A., Martínez-Padilla, J. Old males reduce melanin-pigmented traits and increase reproductive outcome under worse environmental conditions in common kestrels. Ecology and Evolution. 6:1224-1235 (Link)

Non-peer reviewed publications

López-Idiáquez, D.The Post-fledgling dependence period. Naturalmente 21: 46-51 (Journal of the National Natural History Museum). (*In Spanish). (Link)

López-Idiáquez, D.The Dark Side of the Nestling: Darker nestlings display bolder personalities, but only if they are female. BOU Blog. (Link)

ATER (Université Montpellier II)

CEFE/CNRS
Campus du CNRS
1919, route de Mende
34293 Montpellier cedex 5
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Mots clés :

Discipline : Ecologie
Thématique : Interaction Hôte-Parasite
Organismes biologiques : Oiseaux, Parasites sanguins

Research Interests

My interests can broadly be defined as evolutionary ecology in different aspects. I am particularly interested in anthropogenic impacts on host-parasite interactions, such as changes in habitat and climate change.

My postdoctoral research focused on two main projects. One was on the evolutionary strategies of malaria parasites among different bird host communities across Africa. With environmental changes, we anticipate a change in the distribution of both specialist and generalist parasites with potential impacts on bird communities.
My second project focused on global climate change and spread of malaria in Alaska. As a comparison with tropical regions, we wish to determine how climate change can also affect parasite transmission in Arctic regions since the main prediction is that malaria parasites will spread to both higher altitudes and to northern latitudes with global warming. For this project, I also studied vector ecology that plays a crucial role in the spread of avian blood parasites.

Understand how ecological changes affect the prevalence, distribution and strategy of specialization of parasites is an important challenge both in terms of the ecological consequences of the dynamics of the interaction between the host and the parasite as well in terms of conservation.

Past Research Projects (PhD and Master)

Association between MHC diversity and risk of infection with avian malaria parasite

The nature of selection acting on MHC by comparison of patterns of genetic differentiation based on MHC and microsatellite loci

Effects of stress on behavior and immunity

Effects of corticosterone on carotenoid-based signal

Post-Doctorante
Campus du CNRS
1919, route de Mende
34293 Montpellier cedex 5

tél : 04 67 61 33 11

monica.arias[at]cefe.cnrs.fr / moarias[at]gmail.com

Personal website

https://monicaarias.weebly.com/

Keywords

Evolutionary ecology, predator-prey interactions, toxicity, visual signals, entomology, citizen science

Research profile

I am an evolutionary ecologist interested in elucidating how ecological interactions promote the evolution of biodiversity, mostly in insects in tropical ecosystems.

My research seeks to understand how trophic interactions influence the evolution of a diversity of prey defences, especially aposematism (conspicuous visual signals associated with toxins), transparency and camouflage, most often in Lepidoptera but also in frogs from South and Central American forests.

More recently, I have been dedicating increasing efforts to develop an integrative and collaborative project to study the ecology and evolution of a group of tropical toxic moths and to pinpoint ecological factors influencing the societal and human health problems caused by these species across South and Central America.