Joël Meunier
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jmeunierearwig.bsky.social
Joël Meunier
@jmeunierearwig.bsky.social
Behavioural ecologist studying earwigs (insects), parental care, social evolution, social immunity, pesticides, global warming... Defender of open science.

CNRS Researcher at univ Tours (FR) - IRBI

https://joelmeunier.wixsite.com/researchpage
Yesterday, Laura Pasquier successfully defended her PhD thesis, which focused on environmental and endocrine disruptions in parental care, using the European earwig as a case study. After 3 years of hard work, the outcome was fantastic!! Congrats Laura, and all the best for the future!
November 27, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Sounds good, doesn't it?

("The predicted demise of scientific publications?" - a special day of discussion organised by the CNRS)
November 25, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Pauline Domenech, illustratrice indépendante à Toulouse, a fait de supers dessins lors de la conférence grand public sur les forficules que j'ai donné le WE dernier. Un talent incroyable pour capturer les petits moments et mettre en image les anecdotes amusantes. Bravo, Bravo, Bravo (et merci) !! 👏
November 23, 2025 at 11:10 AM
This weekend, I was invited by the association A.L.L.E.E. in Toulouse to present earwigs to a broad and curious audience. It was a fantastic opportunity to share our work, highlight why fundamental research matters, and spark new appreciation for these often-misunderstood insects. 😃😃😃
November 17, 2025 at 6:12 AM
I'm on my way to Avignon to learn about the earwig research on a species that I know much less about than my favourite, F. auricularia. I'm looking forward to being there, despite the early start and multiple train connections 🚆🚅🚌
October 16, 2025 at 5:29 AM
Je donnerais une conférence grand public sur les perce-oreilles à Toulouse.

Venez découvrir les secrets de ces petits insectes discrets, souvent mal-aimés, mais à la vie sociale fascinante.

📅 Samedi 15 nov. 2025 à 14h.

➡️ Infos & inscription via l’affiche ci-dessous

#Conférence #Insectes #Nature
October 4, 2025 at 9:57 AM
I'm on my way back from Roscoff, where I attended a two-day event organised by the CNRS for 'advanced researchers'. What a beautiful location❤️! It's a shame it's so far away — I still have a day of buses and trains ahead of me to reach Tours 😳
October 1, 2025 at 9:32 AM
🪲 Stage M2 – Évolution de la vie de famille chez les insectes
IRBI (Université de Tours / CNRS) | Janv. 2026

La vie de famille est partout dans la nature… mais comment et pourquoi est-elle apparue ? Viens étudier cette question fascinante avec nous!

Info 👉 joelmeunier.wixsite.com/researchpage...
September 2, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Back from Brittany, with its magnificent landscapes. The battery is recharged for what promises to be a very busy scientific year!
August 17, 2025 at 6:15 AM
Today, a lot of earwig research was presented at the French-speaking section of the #IUSSI in Paris. Special rounds of applause to Laura Pasquier and Simon de Wever for their excellent presentations on their PhD projects.
June 19, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Léo Korst finished his master's project in my group this week. Much to my surprise, he gave me a wonderful painting of an earwig. He is clearly talented in both science and art! Thank you so much Léo!
June 18, 2025 at 8:48 PM
New paper out: "Alternative reproductive strategies in two cryptic species of the European earwig complex" rdcu.be/eqfpM

F. dentata invests before egg-laying, F. auricularia after. Same egg number, different trade-offs -> hidden paths to reproductive success. @irbi-tours.bsky.social
June 10, 2025 at 5:33 AM
#EarwigFunFact 25 — In some orchards, earwigs are pests; in others, they’re valued as natural allies. So scientists tried moving them between orchards … with mixed success so far! 🪳🌍🧪

More info 👉 www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14...
May 19, 2025 at 6:50 AM
It was a real pleasure to talk about our recent data on the earwig microbiota at the REID meeting in Lyon, France.🐛🐜🐞🦠🔬🧪

Lots of interesting talks, many old friends, and a fantastic opportunity to meet a very promising generation of new scientists!
May 14, 2025 at 6:55 PM
#EarwigFunFact 24 — Earwig mothers have a reputation for being devoted, but they’re also selective: they invest more care in high-quality offspring than in weaker ones. Tough love in the insect world! 🧪 ❤️

More info 👉 royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
May 12, 2025 at 6:50 AM
#EarwigFunFact 22 - European earwigs pack a stinky surprise with their defensive spray! Harmless but smelly, and watch out - it can leave a dark stain on your fingers if you handle too many (>100). This stain will take several days to disappear! 🌈👃🧪
May 5, 2025 at 6:01 AM
#EarwigFunFact 21 - Altering the gut microbiota is a major issue for most animals. Not for the European earwig! Antibiotics don't faze them. Talk about resilience! 💪🌱🧪

More info 👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
April 28, 2025 at 6:01 AM
#EarwigFunFact 20 - European earwigs are very surprising: they shed their skin right during hatching! A fascinating and mysterious process of shedding. 🪄

More info 👉 doi.org/10.4039/tce....
April 21, 2025 at 6:01 AM
#EarwigFunFact 19 - European earwigs are tough cookies! Their ingestion of heavy metals like cadmium don't stop them from being awesome moms.

More info 👉 linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii...
More info 👉 academic.oup.com/beheco/artic...
April 14, 2025 at 6:01 AM
#EarwigFunFact 18 - Even tiny amounts of pesticides can mess with an earwig's mom duties! Exposure to sublethal quantities of deltamethrin alters its expression of maternal egg care. Let's keep our gardens safe for these little helpers!

More info 👉 linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii...
April 7, 2025 at 6:50 AM
📚✨ Curieux·se de découvrir ce que c'est de faire une thèse sur les perce-oreilles ? Plongez dans cette BD illustrée par @pellichi.bsky.social, qui met en lumière le travail de thèse de Laura Pasquier dans mon équipe. Une superbe façon de rendre la science accessible ! @irbi-tours.bsky.social
April 4, 2025 at 11:50 AM
#EarwigFunFact 15 - Earwig dads don’t provide care, but they can transfer something to their offspring that influences how much care they get from their mom - subtle parental manipulation in action! 🤔🎭 #InsectBehavior #SocialEvolution

More info 👉 royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10....
March 17, 2025 at 8:28 AM
#EarwigFunFact 14 - Earwig moms prevent sibling rivalry by homogenizing their juveniles' chemical signatures. This hides paternity cues, reducing nepotistic cooperation and promoting family harmony. 🧪🤝 #InsectParenting #SocialEvolution

More info 👉 buff.ly/3BXFn3H
March 10, 2025 at 7:50 AM
#EarwigFunFact 11 - European earwig moms don’t discriminate — they care for almost anything: foreign eggs, eggs of other earwig species, glass pearls, or even small objects. Unconditional maternal love in action! ❤️✨ #InsectCare #SocialEvolution

More info 👉 https://buff.ly/3Vh7OA6
February 17, 2025 at 7:50 AM
🇫🇷🌳🐛 Offre de thèse : Venez étudiez l'écologie et le comportement du forficule européen dans les vergers ! 🍑🍏

Financement CIFRE - Collaboration entre l'IRBI (CNRS / Université de Tours) et l'AOP Pêches et Abricots de France.

Date limite : 14 avril 2025

#Recherche #Écologie #Agriculture
February 11, 2025 at 5:00 PM