Insects are a diverse group of animals with an overwhelming number of species, occupying a crucial position among the members of ecosystems and exerting a significant influence on other organisms. For example, while many plants rely on insects for pollination, which is the most vital process for reproduction in living organisms, they are also subject to predation pressure from herbivorous insects. In addition, many insects are vectors of diseases that affect humans and animals, and there are concerns about their invasion and spread across national borders due to global warming and trade. Given their importance, overseas universities have “entomology departments” where active research is conducted, but in Japan, there are only a limited number of universities with laboratories specializing in insects. As one of the few entomology laboratories in Japan, our mission is to train human resources who can address various issues related to insects.
Educational approach
Personally, I conduct research on insect ecology, with a particular focus on behavior.
「どうしてそのような行動が進化したのか？」という疑問には、常に２つの答えが存在します。
When asked, “Why did such behavior evolve?” there are always two possible answers.
一つ目は「その行動が〜の点で適応的であったから」という機能面からの答え、二つ目は「遺伝子が〜に変化したから」というメカニズムからの答えです。
The first is a functional answer: “Because that behavior was adaptive in terms of...” The second is a mechanistic answer: “Because the genes changed in ...” .
従来の行動生態学は一つ目の答え、行動の機能に注目してきました。
Traditional behavioral ecology has focused on the first answer, the functional aspect of behavior.
私はそこに後者の視点、メカニズムからのアプローチを取り入れたいと考え、闘争行動や求愛行動、食性の進化などについて取り組んでいます。
I aim to incorporate the latter perspective, a mechanistic approach, into traditional behavioral ecology, exploring topics such as the evolution of aggressive behavior, courtship behavior, and feeding habits.
具体的な研究内容、所属する学生がどのようなことに興味を持って勉強しているか等についてはweb siteで詳しく解説していますのでご覧ください（ http://www.utlae.org/ ）。
For detailed explanations of my specific research content and the areas of interest pursued by my students, please visit my website (http://www.utlae.org/).
