Raphaël Boulay
BOULAY, RAPHAEL
Post-doctoral Researcher
Doñana CSIC; Avenida Americo Vespucio s/n, E-41013 Sevilla, Spain
954466700
RESEARCH
My main research line is the study of social insects social organization. Social insects live in colonies with one or a few reproductive females that mate with one or a few males. While nestmates generally cooperate in the realization of domestic tasks such as food collection, brood rearing etc, they may enter in conflict for reproduction. Part of my research aims at determining the signals that are used by social insects to recognize each other and to demonstrate their reproductive state. I am also interested in the effects of social organization and mode of dispersal at population level. Currently, I mostly focus my research on species that disperse by colony fission, Aphaenogaster senilis and Cataglyphis floricola.
My second line of research concerns ant-plant relationships. I started studying seed-dispersal by ants in 2002 using the hellebore as a model system. I currently have a project in French Guyana on myrmecophytes. These are plants that present special structures (domaties) that are inhabited by ants. In exchange of obtaining a nesting site, ants defend these plants against herbivores. The project 2ID is financed by the CNRS and involves several researchers from the University of Toulouse, Clermont-Ferrand and Quebec.
CURRENT FUNDED PROJECTS
1. Interactions interspécifiques et diversité : Programme Amazonie (CNRS)
2. La evolución de la asignación de la razón de sexos en una hormiga con fundación por fisión: papel de la asimetría de parentesco y de la competencia local por los recursos: Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (CGL2006-04968/BOS)
3. Montes españoles y el cambio global: amenazas y oportunidades: Ministerio de educacion y ciencia (Consolider)
PUBLICATIONS
28. Amor F, P Ortega, X Cerdá & R Boulay (2010) Cooperative prey-retrieving in the ant Cataglyphis floricola: an unusual short-distance recruitment. Insectes Sociaux (in press)
27. Ichinose K, R Boulay, X Cerdá & A Lenoir (2009) Queen and diet influence on nestmate recognition and cuticular hydrocarbon differentiation in a fission-dispersing ant, Aphaenogaster senilis. Zoological Science 26: 681-685 PDF_RB28
26. Boulay R, X Cerdá, A Fertin, K Ichinose, A Lenoir (2009) Brood development into sexual females depends on the presence of a queen but not on temperature in an ant dispersing by colony fission, Aphaenogaster senilis. Ecological Entomology 34: 595-602
25. Galarza JA, R Boulay, X Cerdá, C Doums, P Federici, H Magalon, T Monnin & C Rico (2009) Development of single sequence repeat markers for the ant Aphaenogaster senilis and cross-species amplification in A.iberica, A.gibbosa, A.subterranea and Messor maroccanus Conservation genetics 10: 519-521
24. Cerdá X, E Angulo, R Boulay, & A Lenoir (2009) Individual and collective foraging decisions: a field study of worker recruitment in the Gypsy ant Aphaenogaster senilis. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 63:551–562
23. Katzav-Gozansky T, R Boulay, A Ionesko & A Hefetz (2008) Nest volatiles as modulators of nestmate recognition in the ant Camponotus fellah Journal of Insect Physiology 54 : 378–385. PDF_RB23
22. Boulay R, F Carro, R Soriguer & X Cerdá (2007) Synchrony between fruit maturation ad effective disperser’s foraging activity increases seed protection against seed predators Proceedings of the Royal Society B 274 : 2515-2522. PDF_RB22
21. Boulay R, J. Coll-Toledano, AJ Manzaneda & X Cerdá (2007). Geographic variations in seed-dispersal by ants: are plant and seed traits decisive? Naturwissenschaften 94 : 242-246. PDF_RB21
20. Boulay R, X Cerdá X, T Simon, M Roldan & A Hefetz (2007) Intraspecific competition in the ant Camponotus cruentatus : should we expect the « dear enemy » effect Animal Behaviour 74 :985-993. PDF_RB20
19. Boulay R, A Hefetz, X Cerdá, S Devers, W Francke, R Twele & A Lenoir (2007). Production of sexuals in a fission-performing ant : dual effects of queen pheromones and colony size Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 61 : 1531-1541. PDF_RB19
18. Alcantara, JM, PJ Rey, AJ Manzaneda, R Boulay, JM Ramirez & JM Fedriani (2007). Geographic variation in the adaptative landscape for seed size at dispersal of the myrmecochorous Helleborus foetidus. Evolutionary Ecology 21 : 411-430. PDF_RB18
17. Manzaneda AJ, P Rey & R Boulay (2007). Geographic and temporal variations in the ant-seed dispersal assemblage of the perennial herb Helleborus foetidus. Biological Journal of Linnean Society 92 : 135-150. PDF_RB17
16. Fedriani, JM & R Boulay (2006) Foraging by fearful frugivores: combined effects of predation and fruit ripening Functional Ecology 20: 1070-1079. PDF_RB16
15. Turillazzi S, L Dapporto, C Pansolli, R Boulay, FR Dani, G Moneti & G Pieraccini (2006). Habitually used hibernation sites of paper wasps are marked with venom and cuticular peptides Current Biology 16: R530-R531. PDF_RB15
14. Katsav-Godzansky T, R Boulay, V Soroker & A Hefetz (2006). Queen pheromones affecting the production of queen-like secretion in workers Journal of Comparative Physiology A 192: 737-742. PDF_RB14
13. Boulay R, J Coll-Toledano & X Cerdá (2006). Geographic variations in Helleborus foetidus elaiosome lipid composition: implications for dispersal by ants Chemoecology, 16: 1-7. PDF_RB13
12. Boulay R, JM Fedriani, AJ Manzaneda & X Cerdá (2005). Indirect effects of alternative food resources in an ant-plant interaction Oecologia, 144: 72-79. PDF_RB12
11. Katsav-Godzansky T, R Boulay, V. Soroker & A Hefetz (2004). Queen-signal modulation of worker pheromonal composition in honeybees. Proceedings of the Royal Society, 271: 2065-2069. PDF_RB11
10. Katzav-Gozansky T, R Boulay, RK Vander Meer & A Hefetz (2004). In-nest environment modulates nestmate recognition in the ant Camponotus fellah Naturwissenschaften, 91: 186-190. PDF_RB10
9. Boulay R, T Katzav-Gozansky, A Hefetz & A Lenoir (2004). Odour convergence and tolerance between nestmates through trophallaxis and grooming in the ant Camponotus fellah (Dalla Torre). Insectes Sociaux, 51: 55-61. PDF_RB9
8. Boulay R, T Katsav-Gozansky, RK Vander Meer & A Hefetz (2003). Colony insularity through queen control on worker social motivation in ants. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, 270: 971-978. PDF_RB8
7. Boulay R & LM Hooper-Bui (2002). Modulation of the foraging activity of the red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren by Chlordimeform. Sociobiology, 39: 129-139. PDF_RB7
6. Boulay R, LM Hooper-Bui & J Woodring (2001). Oviposition and oogenesis in isolated Solenopsis invicta virgin females are associated with high brain level of dopamine. Physiological Entomology, 26: 294-299. PDF_RB6
5. Boulay R & A Lenoir (2001). Social isolation of mature workers affects nestmate recognition in the ant Camponotus fellah. Behavioural Processes, 55: 67-73. PDF_RB5
4. Boulay R, V Soroker, EJ Godzinska, A Hefetz & A Lenoir (2000). Octopamine reverses the isolation-induced increase in trophallaxis in the Carpenter ant Camponotus fellah. The Journal of Experimental Biology, 203: 513-520. PDF_RB4
3. Auger J, R Boulay, B Jaillais & S Delion-Vancassel (2000). Analysis of biogenic amines by high - performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection and solid - phase microextraction. Journal of Chromatography A, 870: 395-403. PDF_RB3
2. Boulay R, V Soroker, A Hefetz, & A Lenoir (2000). Individuality in hydrocarbon production obliges Camponotus fellah workers frequent exchanges for colony integration. Animal Behaviour, 59: 1127-1133. PDF_RB2
1. Boulay R, M Quagebeur, E Godzinska, & A Lenoir (1999). Social isolation in ants: evidence of its impact on survivorship and behavior in Camponotus fellah (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Sociobiology, 33: 111-124.
