David Nash's research group

Social Parasitism, Mutualism, Coevolution & Conservation

I am interested in the interactions between organisms, especially between ants and lycaenid butterflies, but also other myrmecophiles and social parasites of ants. I am particularly interested in the continuum of interactions from mutualism to parasitism, and how coevolution shapes the outcome, time-course and spatial distribution of interactions. In recent years I have become increasingly involved in insect conservation issues. Broad themes of my research include:

  1. Coevolution in recognition systems between ants and myrmecophiles.
  2. The population genetics and genomics of coevolving myrmecophiles and their hosts.
  3. The origin and maintenance of social parasitism in ants.
  4. Evidence-based conservation of butterflies and ants.
  5. Digitalization and image analysis of museum specimens.

Find out more from the Center for Social Evolution or my personal web site.

Funded by:

Contact

Section for Ecology and Evolution
Universitetsparken 15
DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark

Doctor David Richard Nash
Email: DRNash@bio.ku.dk
Phone: +45 353 21323
     Fax: +45 353 21250
Mobile: +45 23718973