Evolutionary Insect-Microbe Ecology

Research Interest, Pets, and Methods
Evolutionary Ecology
Symbiosis, Host-parasitoid, Chemical defense, Behavior
Drosophila, Parasitic wasps, Folsomia, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Yeasts, Bacteria
Experimental ecology and evolution, Behavioral observations, Molecular genetics

Publications

31. Stötefeld L, Scheu S, Rohlfs M (2012) Fungal resistance mechanisms alter density-dependent foraging behavior and success in a fungivorous soil arthropod. Ecological Entomology (in revision)
30. Yin W, Amaike S, Wohlbach DJ, Gasch AP, Chiang Y-M, Wang CC, Bok JW, Rohlfs M, Keller NP (2012) An Aspergillus nidulans bZIP response pathway hardwired for defensive secondary metabolism operates through aflR. Molecular Microbiology (in press)
29. Trienens M, Rohlfs M (2012) Insect-fungus interference competition - the potential role of global secondary metabolite regulation, pathway-specific mycotoxin expression and formation of oxylipins. Fungal Ecology 5:191-199
28. Trienens M, Rohlfs M (2011) Experimental evolution of defense against a competitive mold confers reduced sensitivity to fungal toxins but no increased resistance in Drosophila larvae. BMC Evolutionary Biology 11: 206

27. Staaden S, Milcu A, Rohlfs M, Scheu S (2011) Olfactory cues associated with fungal grazing intensity and secondary metabolite pathway modulate Collembola foraging behavior. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 43: 1411-1416
26. Rohlfs M, Churchill, ACL (2011) Fungal secondary metabolites as modulators of interactions with insects and other arthropods. Fungal Genetics and Biology 48: 32-34 [pdf]
25. Meshrif WS, Rohlfs M, Hegazi MAM, Barakat EMS, Seif AI, Shehata MG (2011) Interactions of Spodoptera littoralis haemocytes following injection with the entomopathogenic fungi: Beauveria bassiana and Nomuraea releyi. Journal of the Egyptian Society of Parasitology 41: 699-714
24. Staaden S, Milcu A, Rohlfs M, Scheu S (2010) Fungal toxins affect the fitness and stable isotope fractionation of Collembola. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 42: 1766-1773

23. Anagnostou C, Dorsch M, Rohlfs M (2010) Influence of dietary yeasts on Drosophila melanogaster life history traits. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 136: 1-11

22. Trienens M, Keller NP, Rohlfs M (2010) Fruit, flies and filamentous fungi - experimental analysis of animal-microbe competition using Drosophila melanogaster and Aspergillus as a model system. Oikos 119: 1765-1775 [pdf]
21. Rohlfs M, Körschner L (2010) Saprophagous insect larvae, Drosophila melanogaster, profit from increased species richness in beneficial microbes. Journal of Applied Entomology 134: 667-671 [pdf]

20. Anagnostou C, LeGrand E, Rohlfs M (2010) Friendly food for fitter flies? - Influence of the microbial food composition on diet choice and parasitoid resistance in Drosophila. Oikos 119: 533-541 [pdf]

19. Kempken F, Rohlfs M (2010) Fungal secondary metabolites - a chemical defense strategy against antagonistic animals? Fungal Ecology 3: 107-114
18. Wölfle S, Trienens M, Rohlfs M (2009) Experimental evolution of resistance against a competing fungus in Drosophila. Oecologia 161: 781-790

17. Rohlfs M, Obmann B (2009) Species-specific responses of dew fly larvae to mycotoxins. Mycotoxin Research 25: 103-112
16. Rohlfs M, Trienens M, Fohgrub U, Kempken F (2009) Evolutionary and ecological interactions of moulds and insects. The Mycota Vol. XV Physiology and Genetics, T. Anke and D. Weber (Eds.), pp. 131-151
15. Weber B, Schaper C, Bushey D, Rohlfs M, Steinfath M, Tononio G, Cirelli C, Scholz J, Bein B (2009) Increased volatile anesthetic requirement in short-sleeping Drosophila mutants. Anesthesiology 110: 313-316

14. Rohlfs M (2008) Host-parasitoid interaction as affected by interkingdom competition. Oecologia 155: 161-168

13. Rohlfs M, Albert M, Keller NP, Kempken F (2007) Secondary metabolites protect mould from fungivory. Biology Letters 3: 523-525 [pdf]

12. Meshrif WS, Barakat EMS, Rohlfs M, Shehata MG, Seif AI, Hegazi MAM (2007). Structural characterization of the cell types in the larval haemolymph of the cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Journal of the Egyptian Academic Society for Environmental Development 8: 1-9.
11. Meshrif WS, Barakat EMS, Rohlfs M, Shehata MG Seif AI, Hegazi MAM (2007) Evaluation of testing four hyphomycete fungi against the development of the cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Journal of the Egyptian Academic Society for Environmental Development 8: 11-20
10. Meshrif WS, Barakat EMS, Rohlfs M, Shehata MG, Seif AI, Hegazi MAM (2007) Characterisation of extracellular enzymes and their role in studying the pathogenicity of hyphomycete fungi to the cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis. Ain Shams Science Bulletin 45: 1-16
9. Rohlfs M (2006) Genetic variation and the role of insect life history traits in the ability of Drosophila larvae to develop in the presence of a competing filamentous fungus. Evolutionary Ecology 20: 271-289

8. Rohlfs M, Hoffmeister TS (2005) Maternal effects increase survival probability in Drosophila subobscura larvae. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 117: 51-58

7. Rohlfs M, Obmann B, Petersen R (2005) Competition with filamentous fungi and its implication for a gregarious life-style in insects living on ephemeral resources. Ecological Entomology 30: 556-563

6. Rohlfs M (2005) Density-dependent insect-mold interactions: effects on fungal growth and spore production. Mycologia 97: 996-1001

5. Rohlfs M (2005) Clash of kingdoms or why Drosophila larvae positively respond to fungal competitors. Frontiers in Zoology 2: 2

4. Rohlfs M, Hoffmeister TS (2004) Are there genetically controlled habitat-specific differences in spatial aggregation of drosophilids? Population Ecology 46: 269-274

3. Rohlfs M, Hoffmeister TS (2004) Spatial aggregation across ephemeral resource patches in insect communities: an adaptive response to natural enemies? Oecologia 140: 654-661

2. Rohlfs M, Hoffmeister TS (2003) An evolutionary explanation of the aggregation model of species coexistence. Proceedings of the Royal Society London B 270: S33-S35

1. Hoffmeister TS, Rohlfs M (2001) Aggregative egg distributions may promote species co-existence - but why do they exist?
Evolutionary Ecology Research 3: 37-50

Former group members:
Dr. Christiana Anagnostou (now lecturer at the Zoological Institute in Kiel, Germany)
Dr. Wesam Meshrif (now researcher at the University of Tanta, Egypt)
Dipl.-Biol. Nele Lefeldt (now at the University of Oldenburg working on bird migration)
Dipl.-Biol. Marko Dittmann (currently looking for a PhD position)
Dipl.-Biol. Lars Kï¿½rschner (biologist, teacher, and musician)
Dipl.-Biol. Julia Stark (somewhere in Schleswig-Holstein?)
Dipl.-Biol. Susanne Wï¿½lfle (somewhere in Bavaria)
Dipl.-Biol. Monika Dorsch (now at Bio Consult SH)
Dipl.-Biol. Martin Albert (somewhere in Bavaria, too?)
Dipl.-Biol. Bjï¿½rn Obmann (now at the B.U.N.D., Germany)