Internship: Olfactory cues in ground beetle foraging and social behavior

This internship, hosted by the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE), focuses on the chemical ecology of ground beetles (Carabidae). The successful candidate will study how these insects utilize volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to navigate towards food sources and potential mates. The project involves laboratory experimentation, including olfactometry and video tracking, to analyze behavioral responses. The intern will work within the EGI team at the UMR IGEPP in Angers, contributing to ongoing research on biological pest control.

• Conduct a literature review on carabid beetle behavior and chemical ecology.
• Perform field collection of ground beetles in agricultural environments.
• Maintain laboratory cultures of beetles and test food sources.
• Design and execute olfactometry experiments to measure behavioral responses.
• Analyze movement patterns using video tracking software.
• Perform statistical analysis of experimental data using R.
• Participate in occasional visits to partner laboratories.