Publications
25. Ratz T, Bahtije Maliqi M, de Groot C, Herter E, Wijnhorst R, Dingemanse N (2026) Body size shapes average behaviour, social impact, and social responsiveness in agonistic interactions. EcoEvoRxiv, https://doi.org/10.32942/X2HW88.
24. Kikodze E, Ratz T (2025) Social plasticity and individuality shape variation in contest behaviour. Biology Letters, 21, 20250519.
23. Ratz T, Montiglio P-O (2025) Prey or protection? Access to food alters individual responses to competition in black widow spiders. Behavioral Ecology, 36: araf011.
Media coverage: Horizons
22. Ratz T (2025) Burying beetles as a model organism to study sex differences in parental care. Insectes Sociaux, 72:193–204.
21. Ratz T, Chechi TS, Dimopoulou A-I, Sedlmair SD, Tuni C (2024) Heatwaves inflict reproductive but not survival costs to male insects. Journal of Experimental Biology, 227:jeb246698.
20. Ratz T, Bourdiol J, Moreau S, Vadnais C, Montiglio P-O (2023). The evolution of prey‑attraction strategies in spiders: the interplay between foraging and predator avoidance. Oecologia, 202:669–684.
Media coverage: National Geographic
19. de Groot C, Wijnhorst RE, Ratz T, Murray M, Araya-Ajoy YG, Wright J, Dingemanse NJ (2023). The importance of distinguishing individual differences in ‘social impact’ versus ‘social responsiveness’ when quantifying indirect genetic effects on the evolution of social plasticity. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 144:104996.
18. Ratz T, Leissle L, Smiseth PT (2022). The presence of conspecific intruders alters the magnitude of sex differences in care in a burying beetle. Animal Behaviour, 194:57–65.
17. Toupin L-P, Ratz T, Montiglio PO (2022). Effects of resource availability on the web structure of female western black widows: is the web structure constrained by physiological trade-offs? Behavioral Ecology, 33:1170–1179.
16. Ratz T, Kremi K, Leissle L, Richardson J, Smiseth PT (2021). Access to resources shapes sex differences between caring parents. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 9:712425.
15. Ratz T, Monteith KM, Vale PF, Smiseth PT (2021). Carry on caring: infected females maintain their parental care despite high mortality. Behavioral Ecology, 32:738–746.
14. Ratz T, Stenson S, Smiseth PT (2020). Offspring preferentially beg towards and associate with larger parents in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. Behavioral Ecology, 31:1250–1256.
13. Ratz T, Perodaskalaki A, Moorad J, Smiseth PT (2020). Effects of inbreeding on behavioural plasticity of parent-offspring interactions in a burying beetle. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 33:1006–1016.
12. Paquet M, Parenteau C, Ford L, Ratz T, Richardson J, Angelier F, Smiseth PT (2020). Females adjust maternal hormone concentration in eggs according to male condition in a burying beetle. Hormones and Behavior, 121:104708.
11. Ratz T, Nichol TW, Smiseth PT (2020). Parental responses to increasing levels of handicapping in a burying beetle. Behavioral Ecology, 31:73–80.
10. Grew R, Richardson J, Ratz T, Smiseth PT (2019). Parental care as a behavioral mechanism for buffering against thermal stress associated with climate change. Behavioral Ecology, 30:1443–1450.
9. Solé R, Gripenberg S, Lewis OL, Markesteijn L, Barrios H, Ratz T, Ctvrtecka R, Butterill PT, Segar ST, Metz M, Dahl C, Rivera M, Viquez K, Ferguson W, Guevara M, Basset Y (2019). The role of herbivorous insects in the regeneration dynamics of Guazuma ulmifolia in Panama. Nature Conservation, 32:81–101.
8. Miller M, Ratz T, Richardson J, Smiseth PT (2019). Interplay between age-based competitive asymmetries within the brood and direct competition between inbred and outbred offspring in a burying beetle. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 32:89–99.
7. Magneville C, Ratz T, Richardson J, Smiseth PT (2018). No evidence for sibling cooperation in the absence of parental care in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. Evolution. 72:2803–2809.
6. Ratz T, Castel E, Smiseth PT (2018). Male assistance in parental care does not buffer against detrimental effects of maternal inbreeding on offspring. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 6:196.
5. Gray FE, Ratz T, Richardson J, Smiseth PT (2018). No evidence for parent-offspring competition in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. Behavioral Ecology, 29:1142–1149.
4. Ratz T, Smiseth PT (2018). Flexible parents: joint effects of handicapping and brood size manipulation on female parental care in Nicrophorus vespilloides. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 31:646–656.
3. Mattey S, Richardson J, Ratz T, Smiseth PT (2018). Effects of offspring and parental inbreeding on parent-offspring communication. American Naturalist, 191:716–725.
2. Basset Y, Lamarre G, Ratz T, Segar S, Decaëns T, Rougerie R, Perez F, Bobadilla R, Lopez Y, Ramirez J A, Aiello A, Barrios H (2017). The Saturniidae of Barro Colorado Island, Panama: a model taxon for studying the long-term effects of climate change? Ecology and Evolution, 7:9991–10004.
1. Ratz T, Kramer J, Veuille M, Meunier J (2016). The population determines whether and how life-history traits vary between reproductive events in an insect with maternal care. Oecologia, 182:443–452.
24. Kikodze E, Ratz T (2025) Social plasticity and individuality shape variation in contest behaviour. Biology Letters, 21, 20250519.
23. Ratz T, Montiglio P-O (2025) Prey or protection? Access to food alters individual responses to competition in black widow spiders. Behavioral Ecology, 36: araf011.
Media coverage: Horizons
22. Ratz T (2025) Burying beetles as a model organism to study sex differences in parental care. Insectes Sociaux, 72:193–204.
21. Ratz T, Chechi TS, Dimopoulou A-I, Sedlmair SD, Tuni C (2024) Heatwaves inflict reproductive but not survival costs to male insects. Journal of Experimental Biology, 227:jeb246698.
20. Ratz T, Bourdiol J, Moreau S, Vadnais C, Montiglio P-O (2023). The evolution of prey‑attraction strategies in spiders: the interplay between foraging and predator avoidance. Oecologia, 202:669–684.
Media coverage: National Geographic
19. de Groot C, Wijnhorst RE, Ratz T, Murray M, Araya-Ajoy YG, Wright J, Dingemanse NJ (2023). The importance of distinguishing individual differences in ‘social impact’ versus ‘social responsiveness’ when quantifying indirect genetic effects on the evolution of social plasticity. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 144:104996.
18. Ratz T, Leissle L, Smiseth PT (2022). The presence of conspecific intruders alters the magnitude of sex differences in care in a burying beetle. Animal Behaviour, 194:57–65.
17. Toupin L-P, Ratz T, Montiglio PO (2022). Effects of resource availability on the web structure of female western black widows: is the web structure constrained by physiological trade-offs? Behavioral Ecology, 33:1170–1179.
16. Ratz T, Kremi K, Leissle L, Richardson J, Smiseth PT (2021). Access to resources shapes sex differences between caring parents. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 9:712425.
15. Ratz T, Monteith KM, Vale PF, Smiseth PT (2021). Carry on caring: infected females maintain their parental care despite high mortality. Behavioral Ecology, 32:738–746.
14. Ratz T, Stenson S, Smiseth PT (2020). Offspring preferentially beg towards and associate with larger parents in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. Behavioral Ecology, 31:1250–1256.
13. Ratz T, Perodaskalaki A, Moorad J, Smiseth PT (2020). Effects of inbreeding on behavioural plasticity of parent-offspring interactions in a burying beetle. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 33:1006–1016.
12. Paquet M, Parenteau C, Ford L, Ratz T, Richardson J, Angelier F, Smiseth PT (2020). Females adjust maternal hormone concentration in eggs according to male condition in a burying beetle. Hormones and Behavior, 121:104708.
11. Ratz T, Nichol TW, Smiseth PT (2020). Parental responses to increasing levels of handicapping in a burying beetle. Behavioral Ecology, 31:73–80.
10. Grew R, Richardson J, Ratz T, Smiseth PT (2019). Parental care as a behavioral mechanism for buffering against thermal stress associated with climate change. Behavioral Ecology, 30:1443–1450.
9. Solé R, Gripenberg S, Lewis OL, Markesteijn L, Barrios H, Ratz T, Ctvrtecka R, Butterill PT, Segar ST, Metz M, Dahl C, Rivera M, Viquez K, Ferguson W, Guevara M, Basset Y (2019). The role of herbivorous insects in the regeneration dynamics of Guazuma ulmifolia in Panama. Nature Conservation, 32:81–101.
8. Miller M, Ratz T, Richardson J, Smiseth PT (2019). Interplay between age-based competitive asymmetries within the brood and direct competition between inbred and outbred offspring in a burying beetle. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 32:89–99.
7. Magneville C, Ratz T, Richardson J, Smiseth PT (2018). No evidence for sibling cooperation in the absence of parental care in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. Evolution. 72:2803–2809.
6. Ratz T, Castel E, Smiseth PT (2018). Male assistance in parental care does not buffer against detrimental effects of maternal inbreeding on offspring. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 6:196.
5. Gray FE, Ratz T, Richardson J, Smiseth PT (2018). No evidence for parent-offspring competition in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. Behavioral Ecology, 29:1142–1149.
4. Ratz T, Smiseth PT (2018). Flexible parents: joint effects of handicapping and brood size manipulation on female parental care in Nicrophorus vespilloides. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 31:646–656.
3. Mattey S, Richardson J, Ratz T, Smiseth PT (2018). Effects of offspring and parental inbreeding on parent-offspring communication. American Naturalist, 191:716–725.
2. Basset Y, Lamarre G, Ratz T, Segar S, Decaëns T, Rougerie R, Perez F, Bobadilla R, Lopez Y, Ramirez J A, Aiello A, Barrios H (2017). The Saturniidae of Barro Colorado Island, Panama: a model taxon for studying the long-term effects of climate change? Ecology and Evolution, 7:9991–10004.
1. Ratz T, Kramer J, Veuille M, Meunier J (2016). The population determines whether and how life-history traits vary between reproductive events in an insect with maternal care. Oecologia, 182:443–452.
