Binz, Hellena

Curriculum Vitae

Curriculum Vitae

since 2012	PhD-student in the group of Evolutionary Biology at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz
2011 – 2012	PhD-student in the group of Ecosystem Analysis at University of Koblenz-Landau
2007 – 2010	Diploma in Biology, University of Würzburg, Thesis title: "Abundance, richness and composition of butterfly assemblages in creek, slope and ridge rainforest in the Pacific Lowlands of Costa Rica"
2004 – 2007	Prediploma in Biology, University of Karlsruhe

                                  

Working experience/other activities

11/2009 – 03/2010	Field work for the diploma thesis in Costa Rica
06/2008 – 10/2009	Working student, DFG Priority Project 1374, University of Würzburg, Germany
11/2008 – 01/2009	Practical training: Diversity of forest butterflies in gallery forests, Costa Rica
05/2008 – 09/2008	Practical training: Dietary analysis of the Montague’s harrier (Circus pygargus) on the Main-Frankonian Plaines, Bavaria
06/2006 – 09/2007	Working student, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, University of Karlsruhe (KIT)

                               

Memberships 

Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft (DZG)
Society of Tropical Ecology (gtö)
Verein zur Förderung der Tropenstation La Gamba

 

Posters and Oral Presentations

02/2012	Binz H, Schulze CH & Linsenmair KE (2012) Effects of topography on forest butterfly assemblages in the Pacific Lowlands of Costa Rica. Poster presentation, Annual Conference of the Society of Tropical Ecology (gtö), University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
09/2011	Binz H, Bucher R, Menzel F & Entling MH (2011) Do insects smell their enemies? Searching for non-consumptive effects. Poster presentation, 41st Annual Conference of the Ecological Society of Germany, Switzerland and Austria (GfÖ), Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Germany

 

                            

Research Interests

Trophic Interactions
Insect Ecology and Conservation
Ecosystem Services
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functions
Tropical Biology 
Sociobiology 

 

Non-consumptive effects among spiders and insects  

Direct consumption is the main definition of predator-prey interactions. But prey can also be influenced by predation risk in bearing changes in morphology and behavior. Such non-consumptive effects (NCE) can affect mating, feeding and migration strategies of prey species and might therefore play important and distinct roles for ecosystem functions such as plant productivity, nutrient cycling and energy flux.  

Spiders are dominant predators in almost all terrestrial habitats and prey on a wide range of arthropods. Although they can elicit strong antipredator behaviour (APB) in both insects and other spiders, the mechanisms involved in the detection of predation risk (i.e., predator presence) have rarely been explored in terrestrial systems.
In 2011 we tested 21 potential prey species (insects and spiders) against the scent of 15 spider species and found strong APB of wood crickets (Nemobius sylvestris) on nursery web spiders (Pisaura mirabilis) and funnel web spiders (Agelena labyrinthica). But also black garden ants (Lasius niger) changed their activity in the former presence of the small wolf spider Aulonia albimana.  

With these three predator-prey combinations I will investigate how the presence of spider predators is detected by prey species using bioassays and analytical methods. Spider silk, feces, chemical footprints, and airborne volatile cues will be distinguished as pathways for predation risk detection. Further, mechanical and chemical cues of spider silk will be separated. I want to find out if predation risk is detected via tactile senses, olfaction and/or contact chemoreception. Finally, the substances involved in risk detection will be identified using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The project involves a collaboration with Prof. Dr. Martin Entling and Roman Bucher, Ecosystem analysis, Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau. (Link HP Landau: http://www.uni-koblenz-landau.de/landau/fb7/umweltwissenschaften/ oekosystemanalyse/ forschung/non-consumptive-effects/non-consumptive%20effects)