PhD in Ecological modelling at INRAE Avignon

Modelling population dynamics of the invasive Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) to optimize surveillance and control strategies in Europe

Thesis direction: Daniele Bevacqua (PSH, INRAE); Florent Bonneu (LMA, Avignon University) ; Davide Martinetti (BioSP, INRAE)

Workplace: The position will be based at Avignon (France), with opportunities for visiting periods and collaboration with Politecnico di Milano (Ecology Lab.), University of Cambridge (Department of Plant Science), Centro di Ricerca Agricoltura e Ambiente (CREA) in Florence.

Starting date: To be decided with the candidate but within december 2024. The contract will last 36 months.

Subject and methodology
The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) poses a significant threat to European agriculture and biodiversity, being listed as a top priority quarantine pest by the European Commission. This funded PhD thesis seeks to advance scientific knowledge on the population dynamics (both temporal and spatial) of the beetle, with the applied goal of defining effective control and surveillance strategies. The research may employ various approaches, including reactiondiffusion equations, spatio-temporal point process models, machine/deep learning techniques,and remote sensing. The thesis will also explore the ecological interactions between the pest, main European crops, and the environment to predict which crops and regions will be likely to be the most affected.