Welcome to The Roach Lab!

Living in groups can provide advantages such as improved food acquisition, mating opportunities, and protection against predators. However, the opposite is also true: group living can lead to increased competition for food and mates and can attract predators. When, then, is it beneficial to live in a society? What are the ecological factors driving the physiological and behavioral changes that lead to sociality? And how and why have various forms of sociality evolved to be so diverse?
To answer these questions, we study how biotic and abiotic factors shape social behavior using a comparative approach. By applying a multidimensional nutritional geometric framework within an evolutionary context and using cutting-edge tools such as stable isotope labeling methods, we test predictions related to the emergence of social behavior and investigate its consequences at both individual and collective levels.
We conduct our research using various species of the order Blattodea, an outstanding model for studying sociality: all forms of sociality are present in this order, from solitary cockroaches to eusocial termites!