Nieves Aldrey Jose Luis

Foto de perfil del investigador Nieves Aldrey Jose Luis

Investigación

Our main research line is focused in Taxonomy and Phylogeny of Hymenoptera Cynipoidea, especially on the well-known gall wasps (Cynipidae) which induce complex galls on plants. The plant galls induced by Cynipidae support rich and ecologically closed communities of organisms dominated by cynipid inquilines and parasitoids belonging several families of Chalcidoidea. Our actual research lines in these fields include phylogeny and evolution of Cynipoidea, based in morphological and molecular data, phylogeography and Bar-coding of gall wasps, inquilines and parasitoids and morphology and phylogeny of immature stages of gall wasps and their inquilines and parasitoids. More recently we are involved in research projects on the diversity of gall wasps in Chile, Panama, México, China and South Africa.

These research lines have determined a strong focus in insect plant interactions centered in the field of the Cecidology, or the study of Gall-inducing arthropods, including regional surveys, compilation of catalogues, ongoing field guides and occasionally fossil galls.

Another research line of our team is focused in Biodiversity. We have developed projects centered on insects, particularly Hymenoptera, as biodiversity indicators, and Malaise trap based biodiversity inventories in Europe, Africa and South America. We are interested in the comparison of diversity patterns among temperate and tropical areas, and their application to Conservation. Some research projects developed in this field include Surveys and Inventories in the  Sierra de Guadarrama and Monte de El Pardo, Artikutza and Canary islands (Spain), in the National Park of Coiba Island (Panamá), Los Queules, native maulino forest (Chile) and Equatorial Guinea.