High specificity in the Ficus ‐agaonid wasp mutualism has lead to the assumption of a mostly ‘one‐to‐one’ relationship, albeit with some exceptions. This view has been challenged by new molecular data in recent years, but surprisingly little is known about local and spatial genetic structuring of agaonid wasp populations. Using microsatellite markers, we analysed genetic structuring of Ceratosolen fusciceps , the fig wasp poll...

Inbreeding depression reflects the negative consequences of increased homozygosity at genes that affect fitness. We investigate inbreeding depression in a semi‐free‐ranging colony of mandrills ( Mandrillus sphinx ), using high‐quality pedigree data, comprising five maternal generations and 20 years of morphological and demographic data. We examine the relationship between inbreeding coefficients and four fitness correlates: tw...

This study provides the first phylogenetic analysis of a large sample of the two largest genera of seed‐beetles, Acanthoscelides Schilsky and Bruchidius Schilsky, which mostly feed on legumes (Fabaceae). The goal of this study was to investigate evolutionary patterns in relation to biogeography and host‐plant associations. We used three mitochondrial molecular markers and parsimony and Bayesian inference methods to reconstruct...

Animals use the chemical compounds of plants as a defence mechanism against enemies, and sometimes use olfaction to discriminate and select the chemical plant substances. Some birds bring to the nest plant material that has volatile compounds that protect the host and their offspring against parasitic organisms. Here we show that blue tits on the island of Corsica ( Parus caeruleus ogliastrae ) adorn their nests with fragments...

Theory predicts that colonization of new areas will be associated with population bottlenecks that reduce within‐population genetic diversity and increase genetic differentiation among populations. This should be especially true for weedy plant species, which are often characterized by self‐compatible breeding systems and vegetative propagation. To test this prediction, and to evaluate alternative scenarios for the history of...