The J Lab
Group Leader: Dr Michael Jennions

Contact
School of Botany & Zoology
Australian National University,
Canberra, ACT 0200,
Australia
Email

Fleur Champion de Crespigny

Background

My research is centred within the fields of evolutionary biology and behavioural ecology. I am currently studying the impact of the selfish genetic element, Wolbachia pipientis, on the evolution of host reproductive strategies, and its effect on host immune function. These studies are being undertaken using a variety of insect systems including Drosophila simulans, D. melanogaster and Ephestia keuhniella. Wolbachia causes offspring death (cytoplasmic incompatibility) in crosses between infected males and uninfected females in these species.

Wolbachia is of particular interest to evolutionary biologists because it manipulates its host’s reproduction in order to improve its own transmission. This often at the expense of host fitness and Wolbachia is therefore predicted to drive the evolution of reproductive strategies that enable hosts to avoid or reduce Wolbachia’s deleterious effects. For instance, we have shown that Wolbachia is associated with decreased sperm competitive ability in the fly D. simulans, and that females can exploit sperm competition to bias paternity and avoid costly fertilisations by infected males.

 I am currently at the Centre for Ecology & Conservation at the University of Exeter in Cornwall, where I am working with Nina Wedell on Wolbachia in a range of insects. I will be moving to the ANU in September 2008.

Publications

12. de Crespigny FEC, Hosken DJ. 2007. Sexual selection: signals to die for. Current Biology  [PDF]

11. de Crespigny FEC, Wedell N. 2007. Mate preferences in Drosophila infected with Wolbachia? Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 61: 1229-1235 [PDF]

10. Edvardsson M, de Crespigny FEC, Tregenza T.2007. Mating behaviour: Promiscuous mothers have healthier young. Current Biology 17: R66-R67 [PDF]

9. Champion de Crespigny FE, Pitt T, Wedell N. 2006. Increased male mating rate in Drosophila is associated with Wolbachia infection. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 19: 1964-1972 [PDF]

8. Champion de Crespigny FE, Wedell N. 2006. Wolbachia infection reduces sperm competitive ability in an insect. Proceedings of the Royal Society Series B 273: 1455-1458 [PDF]

7. Champion de Crespigny FE, Butlin RK, Wedell N. 2005. Can cytoplasmic incompatibility inducing Wolbachia promote the evolution of mate preferences? Journal of Evolutionary Biology 18: 967-977 [PDF]

6. Elgar MA, Bruce M, Champion de Crespigny FE, Cutler AR, Cutler CL, Gaskett AC, Herberstein ME, Ramamurthy S, Schneider JM.. 2003. Male mate choice and patterns of paternity in multiple-mating trials of the sexually cannibalistic orb-web spider, Nephila plumipes. Australian Journal of Zoology 51: 357-365 [PDF]

5. Elgar MA, Champion de Crespigny FE, Ramamurthy S. 2003. Male copulation behaviour and the risk of sperm competition. Animal Behaviour 66: 211-216 [PDF]

4. Champion de Crespigny FE, Herberstein ME, Elgar MA. 2001. The effect of predator-prey distance and prey profitability on the attack behaviour of the orb-web spider Argiope keyserlingi (Araneidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 49: 213-221 [PDF]

3. Champion de Crespigny FE, Herberstein ME, Elgar MA. 2001. Food caching in orb-web spiders (Araneae; Araneoidea). Naturwissenschaften  88: 42-45 [PDF]

2. Schneider JM, Herberstein ME, de Crespigny FC, Ramamurthy S, Elgar MA. 2000. Sperm competition and small size advantage for males of the golden orb-web spider Nephila edulis. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 13: 939-946 [PDF]

1. Herberstein ME, Abernethy KE, Backhouse K, Bradford H, de Crespigny FE, Luckock PR, Elgar MA. 1998 The effect of feeding history on prey capture behaviour in the orb-web spider Argiope keyserlingi KARSCH (Araneae: Araneidae). Ethology 104: 565-571

Collaborators

Dr Nina Wedell
Dr Zenobia Lewis
Dr Greg Hurst
Dr Steve Sait

Contact

Currently I can be contacted at: f.decrespigny@exeter.ac.uk

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