I am interested in the chemical ecology of plant and insect interactions. In this wide realm, I focus on the importance of the outermost layer of insects and plants: the epicuticle. This thin, waxy layer protects its carrier from abiotic stresses but is also the first line of contact with other organisms and thus important in many interactions.
During my PhD, I studied the chemical mimicry of parasitoid Lysiphlebus wasps. These wasps mimic the cuticular hydrocarbons of their ant-protected aphid hosts to avoid ant aggression. I was particularly interested in understanding the extent to which cuticular hydrocarbons of parasitoids are genetically determined or influenced by their host choice, and how this could affect parasitoid specialization. I used analytical chemistry methods, cross-rearing experiments and behavioral experiments with aphid-tending ants to study these mechanisms. With my experience in analyzing insect cuticles, I now set out to study the floral epicuticle of plants. While leaf and fruit epicuticle have received quite a lot of attention, the role of the outermost layer on flowers is less well understood. I am interested in how the flower cuticle composition changes when plants are faced with different abiotic stresses and in the importance of its composition in interactions with pollinators and herbivores.