*Ph. D. position* *Effect of stink bug invasion on behavioural and chemical ecology of local egg parasitoids*
*Prof. Ezio Peri, Dept. of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo* *Position availability: * November, 2017. *Support: *three years of support are available from the university of Palermo, Italy *Position Summary*: Insects can be accidentally introduced into non-native ecosystems by humans, or expand their geographical range toward the poles as a consequence of global warming. As they invade new environments, exotic species interact with local species, modifying the structure of local food webs. New associations arising from with biological invasions can impact the strength of existing links with effects cascading through trophic levels. When invasive species are herbivores that can attack economically important crops, they can cause serious economic losses. For example, recent invasion of the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) (Halyomorpha halys) in Europe and has the potential to interfere with local trophic webs and poses a serious threat to several agro-ecosystems. In this PhD project, the candidate will adopt a multidisciplinary approach to study the ecological consequences of BMSB invasions. In particular, we will focus on the effect of alien herbivore invasion on local natural enemies. Specific research strands will focus on: 1) the impact of exotic herbivores on infochemical communication between plants, herbivores and natural enemies; 2) Learned responses of parasitoids to infochemical evolutionary traps in a climate change context; 3) Contest behaviour of local egg parasitoids for possession of co-evolved and non-coevolved hosts; 4) Patch time allocation of local egg parasitoids after alien herbivore invasion: behavioural and modelling approaches. *Requirements:* A Bachelor's or Master's degree in entomology, biology, behaviour, chemical ecology, or related field. Excellent written and oral communication skills. If you are interested, you can find the call for applicant at http://www.unipa.it/amministrazione/area2/set15/uob18/dottorato-xxxii-ciclo/bando-dottorato-xxxii-ciclo/ PhD course: Agricultural, food, forest and environmental sciences; competition code 15 Deadline: July 7th, 2016 If you need further information, email also a statement of interest in the position and major research interests and a CV to [email protected].
