Dr Mathieu
Lihoreau
Research
interests
I
am broadly interested
in social evolution, using arthropods as main models. A major goal of
my research is
to understand how cognitive processes regulate the expression of social
behaviour and influence the functioning of groups, from loose aggregate
to cohesive eusocial colonies.
Postdoctoral research (The University of Sydney).
My
current projects focus on the ecological factors leading animals to
behave and live in groups . Locusts are
well-known for their transitions from solitary
to a gregarious phases. Swarming is likely to occur
because environmental
parameters such as food distribution patterns, predature pressures or
microclimatic conditions.
Mathematical models derived from Percolation Theory helps exploring
these phase transitions. This work is a
collaboration with Prof Steve Simpson.
Postdoctoral research (Queen Mary University of London). When bees leave
their nest, they are faced with hugely
diverse and dynamic floral markets in which they have to develop
functional foraging routes. Such routing problems, analogous to
the well-known Travelling Salesman Problem, are
computationally hard to solve. Using artificial flowers and
experimental setups at different spatial scales, we demonstrate that
bees optimize their routes with experience using simple movement rules
and spatial memory of flower locations. This work is a
collaboration with Prof Lars Chittka and Dr Nigel Raine.
PhD research (University of Rennes 1). Cockroaches
(Blattaria) is a key group for the study of social evolution because of
their phylogenetic proximity with eusocial termites, which nevertheless
remains largely understudied. This work
highlights some emergent properties of social life in urban cockroach
species known to be 'gregarious', demonstrating the occurence of
sophisticated
communication and basic cooperation.
This work is a collaboration with Dr Colette Rivault and Prof Jean-Louis Deneubourg.
CV
2011 - present:
Postdoctoral researcher - The
University of Sydney (ARC)
2009 - 2010:
Postdoctoral researcher - Queen
Mary University of
London (BBSRC/EPSRC/Wellcome T)
2005
- 2009: PhD Thesis - University
of Rennes 1 (MRT)
2003
- 2005: Master's degree - University
of Rennes 1
2002-2003:
Bachelor's degree -
University of Tours
Awards
2011. Early career researcher prize - International Union for
the Study
of Social Insects (French Section)
2007. Best talk - Meeting of the French Section of the International Union for
the Study of Social Insects, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse
2006. Best poster - European Conference on Behavioural Biology, University of Belfast
Publications
Peer-reviewed
articles
11.
Lihoreau
M, Chittka L, Le Comber SC, Raine NE.
(2012). Bees do not use nearest-neighbour rules for optimization of
multi-location routes. Biology Letters, 8:13-16. Supplementary material
10.
Lihoreau
M, Rivault C. (2011). Local enhancement promotes cockroach feeding aggregations. PLoS ONE, 6:e22048.
9.
Lihoreau
M,
Chittka L, Raine NE. (2011). Trade-off between travel distance and
prioritization of high reward sites in traplining bumblebees. Functional Ecology, 25:1284-1292. Supplementary material
8.
Lihoreau
M,
Chittka L, Raine NE. (2010). Travel optimization by foraging
bumblebees through re-adjustments of traplines after discovery
of
new feeding locations. American
Naturalist, 176:744-767. Supplementary material
7. Lihoreau
M, Deneubourg J-L,
Rivault C. (2010). Collective foraging decision in a gregarious
insect. Behavioral
Ecology and Sociobiology, 64:1577-1587. Supplementary
material
6.
Lihoreau
M, Rivault C. (2010). German cockroach males maximize
their inclusive fitness by avoiding mating with kin. Animal Behaviour,
80:303-309.
5. Lihoreau
M, Brepson L,
Rivault C. (2009). The weight of the clan: even
in insects, social
isolation
can induce a behavioural syndrome. Behavioural
Processes, 82:80-84.
4. Lihoreau
M, Rivault C.
(2009). Kin recognition via cuticular
hydrocarbons shapes cockroach
social
life. Behavioral
Ecology,
20:46-53.
3. Lihoreau
M, Zimmer C, Rivault
C. (2008). Mutual mate choice: when it
pays both sexes
to
avoid inbreeding.
PLoS ONE, 3:e3365.
2. Lihoreau
M, Rivault
C. (2008). Tactile stimuli trigger group effects in cockroach aggregations.
Animal
Behaviour, 75:1965-1972.
1. Lihoreau
M, Zimmer C, Rivault
C. (2007). Kin recognition and incest
avoidance in
a group-living
insect. Behavioral
Ecology, 18:880-887.
Book
reviews
Lihoreau
M. (2010). Book review of Spatial cognition, spatial
perception: mapping the self and space. Dolins FL and
Mitchel RW (eds). The
Quaterly Review of biology, 85:506.
Popular
science articles
Recent
talks
Lihoreau
M (2011). The multi-location routes of traplining bees. Invited speaker. Workshop on Insect Homing: Mechanisms and Models,
Bielefeld
(Germany).
Lihoreau
M (2011). From solitary to
eusocial lifestyle: what do the 'other' insect
societies teach us about social evolution? Invited seminar.
Research Institute on Insect Biology (UMR CNRS 6035),
University François Rabelais, Tours
(France).
Lihoreau
M (2011). Bees and the Travelling
Salesman problem. Invited
plenary session. Meeting
of the French Section of the International Union for
the Study
of Social Insects, University Pierre and Marie Curie, Banyuls
(France).
Lihoreau
M (2011).Bees and the Travelling
Salesman problem. Invited
seminar. Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie
University, Sydney
(Australia).
Lihoreau
M (2011). From solitary to
eusocial lifestyle: what do the 'other' insect
societies teach us about social evolution? Invited seminar.
School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney
(Australia).
Lihoreau
M, Chittka L, Raine NE (2010). Trapline foraging in
bumblebees: how tiny brains solve complex routing tasks? Winter
meeting of the North-West European Section of the International
Union for the Study of Social Insects, London (UK).
Lihoreau
M, Chittka L, Raine NE (2010).
Bees and the travelling salesman problem: how tiny brains solve complex
routing tasks? 16th International Congress of
the International Union for the Study of Social Insects,
Copenhagen (Denmark).
Lihoreau
M (2010).
From solitary to eusocial lifestyle: what do the 'other' insect
societies teach us about social evolution? Invited seminar.
Research Centre on Animal Cognition (UMR CNRS 5169), University Paul
Sabatier, Toulouse (France).
Societies
International
Union for the Study of Social Insects (IUSSI)
Société
Française pour l'étude du Comportement Animal
(SFECA)
The Association for
the Study of Animal
Behaviour (ASAB)
Media coverage
National Geographic: February 2012 (In press) - Interview with Parker G.
New Scientist: 17th August 2011 - Zoologer: the world's smartest insect. Marshall M.
Science & Vie:
March 2011 - Insectes: leur intelligence défie la
nôtre. Lassagne F.
CBC radio:
27th October 2010 - Bees math problem (interview
with Carol Off).
Fox News: 25th
October 2010 - Tiny bee brains beat computers at complex math problems.
CBS News: 25th
October 2010 - Bee's tiny brain beats
computers at complex Math Problem.
MSNBC: 25th
October 2010 - Need a shortcut? Ask a bumblebee.
The Independent:
25th October 2010 - Bees are quicker than
computers at maths. von Radowitz J.
The Times:
25th October 2010 - Bees
could help to ease traffic congestion, scientists suggest
The Guardian:
24th October 2010 - Bees'
tiny brains beat computers, study finds.
BBC News: 22nd
September 2010 - Mapping the flight of the
bumblebee. Gill V.
ABC:
10th June 2010 - Roaches prefer dinner parties.
O'Hanlon L.
Disovery news: 10th
June 2010 - Roaches prefer dinner parties.
O'Hanlon L.
MSNBC: 10th
June 2010 - Roaches prefer dinner parties.
O'Hanlon L.
BBC News: 4th
june 2010 - How cockroaches 'talk' about food.
Gill V.
Nature: 30th
july 2009 - Why there's never just one. Nature, Research highlight
460:555.
More
coverage
