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Dr. Panagiotis Theodorou

Panagiotis Theodorou

For updated information please visit my personal webpage
Contact
Dr. Panagiotis Theodorou
room 6.10
Hoher Weg 8
06120 Halle (Saale)
phone: +49 (0)345 55 26511
panatheod@gmail.com
panagiotis.theodorou@zoologie.uni-halle.de
Research areas
My research investigates ecological and evolutionary processes from genes through species and ecosystems, to quantify global change effects on biodiversity, mutualistic interactions and the ecosystem service of pollination.
1. Insect biodiversity
Habitat loss, resulting from the conversion of (semi) natural to human dominated habitats is the most universal and high impact factor driving pollinator declines. Two of the main drivers of habitat loss, with overall negative effects on pollinator biodiversity, are agricultural development and urbanisation. Paradoxically though, studies have shown that anthropogenic habitats, including both urban and agricultural areas, can have neutral or even positive effects on pollinator diversity. Differences in intensity of land use change, spatial scale and the taxonomic group studied are among the main reasons for these contrasting findings. As a step towards understanding the overall effects of anthropogenic land use on insect pollinator diversity, I investigate the relative effects of local habitat resources, landscape composition and configuration on insect pollinator diversity, simultaneously measured as intraspecific genetic diversity, species richness and phylogenetic diversity.
In my research, I am using both traditional morphological taxonomy and metabarcoding to assess insect species richness and phylogenetic diversity of insects.
2. Insect evolutionary biology
There is increasing support that we are currently witnessing a 6th mass extinction of life on earth and humans are the driving force behind it.
The urbanization of Earth’s ecosystems is rapidly increasing and the global urban human population is growing with predictable changes in multiple aspects of the environment. For example, urban areas have increased air, water, light, and noise pollution, greater habitat fragmentation and loss, as well as more impervious surface compared to nearby non-urban habitats.
The urban environment is about as extreme as it gets, and the wild animals and plants that live side-by-side with us need to adapt to a whole suite of challenging conditions.
However, despite decades of research in urban ecology, the extent to which urbanization influences evolutionary change has received little attention.
My research focuses on understanding the demographic trends and genetic structure of insect species in the Anthropocene. Furthermore, I use RAD-sequencing to examine potential evolutionary responses of bumblebees to urbanisation.
3. Plant-pollinator interactions (networks)
Many studies have so far focused on the effects of anthropogenic habitat use on the diversity of pollinators and their host plants as well as on plant-pollinator community composition. However, the effects of land use change and local habitat on plants and insect pollinators are also likely to influence their mutualistic interactions, thereby impacting the architecture of their networks. The structure and complexity of these mutualistic networks could be important in promoting community stability and functioning.
In my research I investigate local flower visitation networks to examine how local habitat factors and the gradual change in dominant land use type from agricultural to urban in the surrounding landscape affect plant-pollinator communities and their interactions.

4. Pollination
Animal-mediated pollination is required for the reproduction of the majority of angiosperms and pollinators are therefore essential for ecosystem functioning and the economy. However, during the last decades, numerous reports have shown declines in numbers of both wild and managed pollinators.
Reasons for bee decline mirror those for biodiversity (species diversity) decline in general are : agriculture intensification (pesticides, fertilizers, mono-cultures), invasive species, spread of pathogens, habitat fragmentation degradation and reduction and climate change.
In my research I investigate the relative effects on the ecosystem service of pollination of: (i) biodiversity (species richness; genetic diversity and phylogenetic diversity), (ii) visitation rates, (iii) local habitat, (iv) land-use change brought on by agriculture and urbanisation as well as (v) the prevalence of pollinator parasites.
CV
2019- .Assistant/Associate Professor at Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology, General Zoology.
2013-2018: PhD in Biology at Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology, General Zoology, funded by iDiv (http://www.idiv-biodiversity.de )
2011-2012. Internship at Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology, General Zoology.
2008-2011. M.Sc. in Biology at University of Iceland, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Department of Biology.
2003-2008. B.Sc. in Biology at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Science, School of Biology.
Publications
2022 (6)
34. Bumble bee colony health and performance vary widely across the urban ecosystem
Journal of Animal Ecology (2022)
Theodorou P., Kühn O., Baltz L.M., Wild C., Rasti S.R., Bucksch C., Strohm E., Paxton R., Kurze C. Full text
33. Anthropogenic effects on the body size of two Neotropical orchid bees
BMC Ecology and Evolution (2022)
Garlin J., Theodorou P., Kathe E., Quezada-Euan J., Paxton R.J., Soro A. Full text
Biological Control (2022), 104963
Pantaleoni R, Pusceddu M, Tauber C, Theodorou P, Loru L Full text
31. The effects of urbanisation on ecological interactions
Current Opinion in Insect Science, (2022), 100922
Thedorou P. Full text
Journal of Applied Ecology (2022), 0 (1– 12)
S. Boff, T. Conrad, J. Raizer, M. Wehrhahn, M. Bayer, A. Friedel, P. Theodorou, T. Schmitt, D. Lupi. Full text
29. Global urban environmental change drives adaptation in white clover
Science (2022), 375:1275-1281
James S. Santangelo,Robert W. Ness, Beata Cohan, Connor R. Fitzpatrick, Simon G. Innes, Sophie Koch, Lindsay S. Miles, Samreen Munim, Pedro Peres-Neto, Cindy Prashad, Alex T. Tong,..............., Panagiotis Theodorou,......., Marc T.J. Johnson. Full text
2021 (7)
Plants, People, Planet (2021), 1-12
T. Hornick, M. Bastl, S. Bohlmann,......., I. Steffan-Dewenter, Theodorou Panagiotis, R. Treudler, B. Werchan, M. Werchan, R. Wolke, S. Dunker. Full text
27. Honey bees increase social distancing when facing the ectoparasite Varroa destructor
Science Advances (2021), 7(44)
Pusceddu Michelina, Cini Alessandro, Alberti Simona, Salaris Emanuele, Theodorou Panagiotis, Floris Ignazio, Satta Alberto. Full text
26. A brief history and popularity of methods and tools used to estimate micro-evolutionary forces
Ecology and Evolution (2021), 00:1-21
Jonathan Kidner, Panagiotis Theodorou, Jan O. Engler, Martin Taubert, Martin Husemann. Full text
Agricutlure Ecosystem and the Environment (2021), 315:107383
Julia Osterman, Panagiotis Theodorou, Rita Radzevičiūtė, Pascal Schnitker, Robert Paxton. Full text
24. Urbanisation is associated with shifts in bumblebee body size with cascading effects on pollination
Evolutionary Applications (2021), 14: 53– 68
Panagiotis Theodorou, Lucie Baltz , Robert J. Paxton, Antonella Soro. Full text
23. Plant-pollinator networks in savannas of Burkina Faso, West Africa
Diversity (2021), 13(1)
Katharina Stein, Drissa Coulibaly, Larba Hubert Balima, DethardtGötze, Karl Eduard Linsenmair, Stefan Porembski, Kathrin Stenchly, Panagiotis Theodorou. Full text
Agricutlure Ecosystems and the Environment (2021), 306, 107197
Rita Radzevičiūtė, Panagiotis Theodorou*, Martin Schlegel, Robert J. Paxton.Full text
*corresponding author
2020 (5)
21. Urban fragmentation leads to lower floral diversity, with knock-on impacts on bee biodiversity
Scientific Reports (2020), 10, 21756
Panagiotis Theodorou, Sarah Herbst, Belinda Kahnt, Patricia Landaverde-González, Lucie Baltz, Julia Osterman, Robert Paxton.Full text
Oecologia (2020), 194, 333-344
Escobedo-Kenefic Natalia, Landaverde-González Patricia, Panagiotis Theodorou*, Cardona Edson, Dardon María José, Martínez Oscar, López, Jessica, Domínguez César. Full text
*corresponding author
19. Urban areas as hotspots for bees and pollination but not a panacea for all insects
Nature Communications (2020), 11(1), 1-13
Panagiotis Theodorou, Rita Radzevičiūte, Guillaume Lentendu, Belinda Kahnt, Martin Husemann, Christoph Bleidorn, Josef Settele, Oliver Schweiger, Ivo Grosse, Tesfaye Wubet, Tomás E. Murray, Robert J. Paxton. Full text
18. Population genetics of the European rabbit along a rural-to-urban gradient
Scientific Reports (2020), 10, 2448
Madlen Ziege, Panagiotis Theodorou, Hannah Jüngling, Stefan Merker, Martin Plath, Bruno Streit, and Hannes Lerp. Full text
17. Propolis consumption reduces Nosema ceranae infection of European honey bees (Apis mellifera)
Insects (2020), 11(2), 124
Alessandra Mura, Michelina Pusceddu, Panagiotis Theodorou, Alberto Angioni, Ignazio Floris, Robert Paxton, Alberto Satta. Full text
2019 (4)
Molecular Ecology (2019), 28:4118– 4133
Belinda Kahnt, Wesley N. Hattingh, Panagiotis Theodorou, Nicolas Wieseke, Kelsey L. Glennon, Timo van der Niet, Robert Paxton, Glynis V. Goodman-Cron. Full text
Viruses (2019), 11(2)
Anja Tehel, Quynh Vu, Diane Bigot, Andreas Gogol-Döring, Peter Koch, Christina Jenkins, Vincent Doublet, Panagiotis Theodorou, Robert Paxton. Full text
14. A roadmap for urban evolutionary ecology
Evolutionary Applications (2019), 12:384-398
L. Ruth Rivkin, James S. Santangelo, Marina Alberti, Myla F. J. Aronson, Charlotte W. de Keyzer , Sarah E. Diamond, Marie-Josée Fortin, Lauren J. Frazee, Amanda J. Gorton, Andrew P. Hendry, Yang Liu, Jonathan Losos, J. Scott MacIvor, Ryan A. Martin, Mark McDonnell, Lindsay S. Miles, Jason Munshi-South, Robert Ness, Amy Newman, Mason Stothart, Panagiotis Theodorou, Ken A. Thompson, Brian C. Verrelli, Andrew Whitehead, Kristin M. Winchell, Marc T. J. Johnson Full text
13. Resin foraging dynamics in Varroa destructor infested hives. A case of medication of kin?
Insect Science (2019), 26, 297-310
M. Pusceddu, G. Piluzza, Panagiotis Theodorou, F. Buffa, L. Ruiu, S. Bullitta, I. Floris, A. Satta. Full text
2018 (4)
12. Small and genetically highly structured populations in a long-legged bee, Rediviva longimanus, as inferred by pooled RAD-seq
BMC Evolutionary Biology (2018), 8:196
Belinda Kahnt, Panagiotis Theodorou, Antonella Soro, Hilke Hollens, Michael Kuhlmann, Anton Pauw, Robert J. Paxton. Full text
11. The effects of raw propolis on Varroa-infested honey bee (Apis mellifera) workers
Parasitology Research (2018), 117, 3527-3535.
Michelina Pusceddu; Ignazio Floris; Alessandra Mura; Panagiotis Theodorou; Giorgia Cirotto; Giovanna Piluzza; Simonetta Bullitta; Angioni Alberto; Alberto Satta. Full text
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2018), 285, 20172806.
Panagiotis Theodorou, Rita Radzevičiūte, Belinda Kahnt, Antonella Soro, Ivo Grosse, Robert J. Paxton. Author URL
9. Hopper parasitoids do not significantly benefit from non-crop habitats in rice production landscapes
Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment (2018), 254, 224-232.
Christina Sann, Panagiotis Theodorou, Kong Luen Heong, Sylvia Villareal, Josef Settele, Stefan Vidal, Catrin Westphal. Full text
2017 (4)
Journal of Invertebrate Pathology (2017),146, 12-23
Rita Radzevičiūtė, Panagiotis Theodorou, Martin Husemann, George Japoshvili, Giorgi Kirkitadze, Aigul Zhusupbaeva, Robert Paxton Full text
Journal of Applied Ecology (2017), 54, 1814-1824.
Patricia Landaverde-González, J. Javier Quezada-Euán, Panagiotis Theodorou, Tomás E. Murray, Ricardo Ayala, José Humberto Moo-Valle, Martin Husemann, Rémy Vandame, and Robert J. Paxton Full text.
Functional Ecology (2017), 31, 838-847
Panagiotis Theodorou, Karoline Albig, Rita Radzevičiūtė, Josef Settele, Oliver Schweiger, Tomás E. Murray, Robert J. Paxton. Full text.
Conservation Genetics (2017), 18, 607-619
Antonella Soro, J. Javier G. Quezada-Euan, Panagiotis Theodorou, Robin F. A. Moritz, Robert J. Paxton Full text.
2016 (1)
4. Pollination services enhanced with urbanisation despite increasing pollinator parasitism
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2016), 283, 20160561.
Panagiotis Theodorou, Rita Radzevičiūtė, Josef Settele, Oliver Schweiger, Tomás E. Murray, Robert J. Paxton. Full text.
2015 (1)
3. A sting in the spit: widespread cross-infection of multiple RNA viruses across wild and managed bees
Journal of Animal Ecology (2015), 84, 615-624
McMahon, D. P.; Fuerst, Matthias A.; Caspar, Jessica; Theodorou, Panagiotis; Brown, Mark J F; Paxton, Robert J. Full text.
2013 (1)
Journal of Fish Biology (2013), 82, 2141-2146
Theodorou, P. , Snorrason, S. S. and Ólafsdóttir, G. Á. Full text.
2012 (1)
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology (2012), 413, 192-197
Theodorou, P. , Ólafsdóttir, G.Á. and Snorrason, S.S., Full text.
Memberships
Urban Eco Evo network associate
iDiv assoiate member
European Society for Evolutionary Biology
Genetics Society
British Ecological Society
Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland (GfÖ)
Other scientific activities
Member of the Topic Board of the scientific journal Insects
Reviewer
- DFG (German Research Foundation)
- Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR)
- Molecular Ecology
- Functional Ecology
- BMC Ecology
- Biodiversity and Conservation
- Biological Conservation
- Ecological Applications
- Sustainability
- Journal of Insect Conservation
- Landscape and Urban Planning
- Urban Forestry and Urban Greening
- Oecologia
- Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
- Insects
