No description available.

A major challenge in plant ecology is in understanding how species strategies mediate interactions between the environment and fitness. Variation in niche strategies that affect phenological, physiological, and reproductive traits will allow species to partition resources differently in space and time, allowing for coexistence of many species and strategies within a community. How species differentially respond to variable environments will ultimately influence their population dynamics and geographic distribution. This dissertation approaches this topic from two perspectives: (a) examining the interaction between biogeography and variable demographic strategies in desert annual plants, and (b) examining the costs and benefits of contrasting reproductive strategies in co-occurring selfing and outcrossing desert annuals. Firstly, I tested the abundant center model to determine the role of range position on plant population dynamics. I examined how the geographic and climatic position of 13 desert annuals found at a common location, the Desert Laboratory at Tumamoc Hill in Tucson, Arizona, related to their demography over a 25-year time span. I found that species for which the Desert Laboratory was close to the center of their geographic range have less variable long-term survival and fecundity compared to species for which the Desert Laboratory was further from the center of their range. Secondly, I studied how related species with contrasting mating systems respond to variable environments to affect plant performance. In a three-year field study I investigated how inter-annual variation in plant reproductive phenology affects synchrony with pollinators and herbivores. Since selfing species are guaranteed to reproduce in the absence of pollinators, seasonal and annual variation in phenology resulted in less variable plant reproductive success compared to outcrossing species. Greater variation in reproduction in outcrossing species resulted from asynchrony in some years between plants and pollinators. In a greenhouse study examining the interaction between mating system and drought, I found that the physiological functioning and survival of outcrossing species was more strongly negatively affected by drought conditions, suggesting that selfing species have an advantage in more arid environments. These studies demonstrate how plant reproductive and physiological strategies can play a critical role in influencing fitness, population dynamics and geographic distribution.

Over the last 40 years North American grassland bird populations have declined more than any other bird guild. This trend is especially evident in Vermont, where species experiencing precipitous declines include the Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) and Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus). These declines are linked to habitat loss due to reforestation and suburbanization as well as the intensification of grassland management. Modern grassland management includes earlier first-haying dates (late-May) and shorter intervals between haying events (35 days). These management practices have severe repercussions for songbird populations because 1) early-haying results in complete nest failure (99% Savannah Sparrow and 100% Bobolink nests), 2) the interval between the first and second haying is too short for birds to renest, and 3) intensively managed fields comprise a significant portion of the total available habitat (as much as 40%). In 2002-2006, I examined how hayfield and pasture management affected grassland songbird ecological and evolutionary behavior in the agricultural landscape of the Champlain Valley, Vermont and New York. I studied songbirds in four grassland management types: early-hayed fields harvested in late-May or early-June and again in mid-July; middle-hayed fields harvested in late-June or early-July; late-hayed fields harvested after 1 August; rotationally-grazed pastures, a matrix of small paddocks where cows are moved after the grass in a paddock is eaten to a low point. I addressed the following objectives: 1. Determined the annual productivity, survival, and recruitment of Bobolinks and Savannah Sparrows in the four treatment types. 2. Identified the effects of early-haying on the social and genetic mating systems of Savannah Sparrows. 3. Conducted a population viability analysis for Bobolinks and Savannah Sparrows nesting in the Champlain Valley, assessing sensitivities of life-history parameters and identifying effective management alternatives. This study provides information on how agricultural management affects the ecology, evolution, and viability of grassland birds. It will help inform landowners, managers, and law-makers about management practices and habitat requirements needed to sustain populations.

Comprendre la diversité morphologique des fleurs passe par l'étude de son origine moléculaire et développementale et de ses conséquences fonctionnelles et écologiques. Le périanthe est composé d'organes stériles, sépales et pétales, qui jouent un rôle majeur dans le succès reproducteur des plantes pollinisées par les animaux du fait de leur fonction d'attraction.Cette thèse propose une approche multidisciplinaire visant à comprendre l'origine génétique et moléculaire de la diversité morphologique du périanthe et sa signification évolutive, à l'aide du modèle Nigella damascena L. Cette Renonculacée présente un dimorphisme spontané. La forme probablement ancestrale, trouvée en populations naturelles, a un périanthe bipartite composé de cinq sépales pétaloïdes et huit pétales nectarifères. Dans la forme variante, cultivée à des fins d'horticulture, les pétales sont remplacés par un nombre élevé d'organes allant d'une forme proche des sépales à une forme proche des étamines.La première partie de cette thèse est consacrée à l'étude de l'origine développementale, génétique et moléculaire du dimorphisme, par la caractérisation détaillée de la morphologie florale et de son développement dans les deux morphes dans le cadre d'une approche gène candidat. Par analyse d'expression et validation fonctionnelle, nous avons montré que le gène NdAP3-3 est responsable de l'ensemble des aspects du dimorphisme floral de N. damascena, ce qui suggère que ce gène joue un rôle dans l'identité du pétale mais aussi dans l'architecture du méristème, potentiellement via la régulation du nombre d'organes et de la frontière entre périanthe et étamines.La seconde partie de cette thèse concerne l'impact du dimorphisme floral sur le mode de reproduction des deux morphes et leur maintien potentiel. Nous avons caractérisé les stratégies reproductives et la valeur sélective des deux morphes en conditions naturelles dans des populations expérimentales. Le variant sans pétale est peu visité par les pollinisateurs, et se reproduit majoritairement en autogamie. L'analyse de la vigueur de ses descendants suggère une dépression de consanguinité. Par ailleurs, dans notre matériel, il semble que l'allèle donnant le phénotype sans pétale soit lié à un allèle augmentant la valeur sélective. A la lumière de nos résultats, nous discutons les conditions du maintien de ce polymorphisme. / Understanding flower diversity requires on one hand the study of the molecular and developmental origin of floral architecture, and on the other the study of the functional and ecological consequences of flower morphology. A great deal of that diversity can be found at the perianth level which comprises the sepals and petals, sterile and versatile organs that play a major role in the reproductive success of animal pollinated flowering plants through their attractive characteristics.This thesis is the result of a multidisciplinary effort to understand the genetic and molecular origin as well as the evolutionary significance of perianth diversity, using the Nigella damascena L. as a model. This Ranunculaceae species presents a rare naturally occurring floral dimorphism affecting perianth architecture. The putatively ancestral form found in natural populations has a well differentiated bipartite perianth composed of five petaloid sepals and eight nectariferous petals, while the perianth in the alternative apetalous mutant, cultivated for horticultural purpose, has no petals and but is instead composed of numerous organs showing a continuum of forms from outer sepal-like to inner stamen-like.The first part of this thesis was dedicated to the study of the developmental, genetic and molecular origin of this dimorphism, via a detailed characterization of floral morphology and development in both morphs, which laid a foundation for the interpretation of the results of a candidate gene approach. Using expression analysis and functional validation we showed that NdAP3-3 is fully responsible for the complex N. damascena floral dimorphism, suggesting that it plays a role not only in petal identity but also in meristem patterning, possibly through the regulation of perianth organ number and perianth-stamen boundary.The second half of this thesis focused on the impact of the floral dimorphism on the reproduction mode and evolutionary maintenance of the two morphs. We assessed reproduction strategies and reproductive success in the two morphs by studying a polymorphic experimental population in natural conditions. The absence of petals in the mutant form was associated with a qualitative drop in pollinator visitation which resulted in a shift towards selfing. The study of their progeny suggests that selfing had a negative effect on the descendant’s vigor via inbreeding depression. Additionally, in our material, the allele responsible for the apetalous phenotype seems to be linked to a favorable allele increasing fitness. We discuss the mechanisms of the dimorphism maintenance in light of these results.

Estudos sobre diversidade e sistema reprodutivo das plantas cultivadas são de fundamental importância para o planejamento e elaboração dos programas de melhoramento bem como para a conservação e uso de recursos genéticos. Este trabalho é composto por duas etapas em que se objetivaram em primeiro momento caracterizar morfoagronomicamente 40 acessos de pimenta (Capsicum spp.) do banco de germoplasma da Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz da Universidade de São Paulo, gerando informações que subsidiaram a metodologia para a estimativa da taxa de cruzamento natural para acessos desta espécie. A caracterização foi realizada para 16 descritores, sendo observada alta diversidade para os caracteres de hábito de crescimento, forma da folha, altura de planta, cor da antera, posição do estigma, presença de manchas na corola, constrição anelar no cálice, cor do fruto maduro, forma do fruto, forma do ápice do fruto, superfície do fruto, presença de pungência, dias para florescimento, massa fresca, largura e comprimento de fruto. Foi verificado que dentre os 40 acessos, 85% pertenciam à espécie C. chinense, 10% apresentaram características tanto de C. annuum como de C. frutescens, e dois acessos foram identificados como C. baccatum. Análises multivariadas de Componentes Principais (PCA), Agrupamentos e Coordenadas Principais (PcoA), foram realizadas verificando-se a existência de variabilidade entre os acessos. O coeficiente de dissimilaridade variou de 0,015 a 0,818. A análise de agrupamentos resultou na formação de cinco grupos que separaram os acessos principalmente quanto ao formato e tamanho do fruto. Com base na análise da diversidade três acessos de C. chinense com características morfológicas divergentes, foram selecionados como genitores para a estimativa da taxa de cruzamento natural. Os três acessos foram dispostos em módulos contendo uma planta de cada genótipo e deixados a campo para a ocorrência de cruzamentos naturais. Hibridações artificiais foram feitas entre os acessos selecionados a fim de se obter híbridos para utilização como testemunhas na avaliação da ocorrência e direção dos cruzamentos por meio da observação da expressão de marcadores morfológicos. A taxa de cruzamento variou de 0% a 40,6%, indicando que a espécie C. chinense apresenta sistema reprodutivo misto cujas taxas variaram principalmente em função do genótipo. / Studies on the diversity and reproductive system of crop plants are important for plant breeding programs as well as for the conservation and use of genetic resources. This work is composed of two stages: the first stage aimed to characterize 40 accessions of pepper (Capsicum spp.) from the germplasm bank of the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, with morpho-agronomic traits, and generating information that subsidized the methodology of the second stage, estimating the natural outcrossing rate of this species. The characterization was carried out for 16 traits, with high diversity being observed for the traits of plant growth habit, leaf shape, plant height, anther color, stigma exertion, presence of spots on corolla, calyx annular constriction, fruit color at mature stage, fruit shape, fruit apex shape, fruit surface, presence of pungency, days to flowering, weight, width and length of the fruit. Among the 40 accessions, 85% belonged to the species C. chinense, while 10% showed characteristic of both C. annuum and C. frutescens, and two accessions were identified as C. baccatum. Principal Components multivariate analyses (PCA), cluster and Principal Coordinates analyses (PcoA) were performed showing the existence of variability between the accessions. The dissimilarity coefficient ranged from 0.015 to 0.818. The cluster analysis resulted in the formation of five groups of accessions that diverged mainly according to size and shape of the fruit. Based on the diversity analysis, three morphologically distinct accessions of C. chinense were selected as parents for estimating the natural outcrossing rate. The three accessions were arranged in modules containing one plant of each genotype and were left in the field for the occurrence of natural crosses. Artificial hybridizations were made between the selected accessions in order to obtain hybrids for use as testers in the evaluation of the occurrence and direction of crosses by observing the expression of the morphological markers. The outcrossing rates varied from 0% to 40.6%, indicating that C. chinense presents a mixed reproductive system, and that the outcrossing rates varied mainly due to the genotype.

A espécie Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd. ex Mart. é uma palmeira nativa, popularmente conhecida como macaúba, que possui ampla utilização desde a indústria alimentícia até na produção de biodiesel. Para estudos genéticos, foram coletados e extraído DNA de 50 indivíduos da espécie em três assentamentos no Pontal do Paranapanema-SP (FU, PJ e GB) e em Amparo-SP (AM) toatalizando 200 amostras. Os objetivos do trabalho foram caracterizar a diversidade genética, a estrutura genética espacial (EGE) e o sistema reprodutivo da espécie no Pontal do Paranapanema. A diversidade genética foi caracterizada pelos parâmetros: número de alelos por loco (Â ), heterozigosidades observada (Ĥo) e esperada (Ĥe) e índice de fixação (F^ ). As estatísticas F foram utilizadas como parâmetro de diferenciação genética entre ( F^ ST) e dentro das subpopulações ( F^IS). A EGE foi realizada pela estimativa do coeficiente de coancestria (θ^xy ) entre pares de árvores em relação a posição espacial destas. As populações de macaúba estudadas apresentaram níveis relativamente altos de polimorfismo, pois dos nove locos utilizados obteve-se um total de 103 alelos, sendo que 34 alelos são privados. O Ĥo médio variou de 0,410 a 0,531; O Ĥe médio variou de 0,547 a 0,615. O F apresentou valores positivos e significativos (0,119, 0,173 e 0,276) nas médias de PJ, GB e AM, respectivamente. As estatísticas F mostraram 16,8% de diferenciação entre as populações, ou seja, a maior parte da diversidade genética se encontra dentro das populações. Apenas para a população FU a EGE não foi significativa, na população PJ foi significativa na distância de 810 m (θ^xy =0,0211), porém foi considerado sem significado biológico. Nas outras o θ^xy foi significativo nas distâncias de 38 m (θ^xy = 0,0182 a θ^xy = 0,0418) e 71 (θ^xy =0,0213 a θ^xy =0,0934) para GB e AM, respectivamente, indicando que indivíduos dentro destas distâncias possuem algum grau de parentesco. Os parâmetros para estudar o sistema de reprodução foram calculados pelo MLTR e foram utilizadas 246 progênies (20 mães) da população FU, obtendo os parâmetros t^m =0,97, t^s =0,928, t^m - t^s=0,042, r^s =0,1 e r^p(m) =0,015. O número efetivo de doadores de pólen foi 66,66, a porcentagem de meio-irmãos, irmãos de autofecundação e cruzamento, irmãos completos e irmãos de autofecundação foram 92,7%, 5,8%, 1,4% e 0,09%, respectivamente. O tamanho efetivo foi 3,10, a coancestria foi θ^ =0,134 e o número de matrizes foi m^ =48,29. A macaúba é uma palmeira alógama, não houve correlação significativa de paternidade e o número de matrizes para coleta de sementes deve ser pelo menos 15 sementes de 49 árvores. / Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd. ex Mart. is a native palm, also known as Macaw, which has widespread utilization in the food industry as well as for biodiesel oil production. Samples were collected and DNA was extracted from 50 adult individuals in each of the three rural settlements at Pontal do Paranapanema (FU, PJ and GB) and at Amparo-SP (AM), totaling 200 samples. The study aimed to characterize the genetic diversity, spatial genetic structure (SGS) and the mating system in the Pontal do Parapanema. Genetic diversity was estimated by number of aleles per locus (Â), observed (Ĥo) and expected heterozygozity (Ĥe), fixation index (F^). The F^ statistics were used as genetic differentiation parameter among and within subpopulations. The SGS was studied by coancestry coeficiente (θ^xy ) between pair of trees. The studied populations showed relatively high levels of polymorphism using nine microsatellites loci with a total of 103 alleles, where 34 of these are private. The average of Ĥo and Ĥe ranged from 0.410 to 0.531 and 0.547 to 0.615, respectively. The fixation index (F^) presented positive and significant values in average for PJ (0.119), GB (0.173) and AM (0.276), respectively. The genetic differentiation ( F^ ST) was 16,8%, so most of the diversity is within populations. Only in the FU population the SGS was not significant, was significant up to 810 m (θ^xy=0.0211) for PJ with no ecological meaning. This parameter (θ^xy) was significant at up to 38 m (θ^xy = 0.0182 a θ^xy = 0.0418) and 71 m (θ^xy =0.0213 a θ^xy =0.0934) for GB and AM, respectively, indicating that individuals within these distances are related. The parameters to study the mating system were calculated using MLTR with 246 siblings of open pollination of 20 maternal families trees of the FU population, showing values of t^m=0,97, t^s =0,928, t^m - t^s=0,042, r^s =0,1 e r^p(m) =0,015. The number of effective pollen donors was 66,66, the percentage of the pairwise half sibs self-half-sibs, full sibs and sef sibs were 92,7%, 5,8%, 1,4% and 0,09%, respectively. The effective size was 3,10, the coancestry was θ^ =0,134 and the number of matrices m^ =48,29. The macaw palm is an outcrossing palm, there was no significant correlation of paternity and the collection of seeds should be in at least 15 seeds from more than 49 trees to keep a high genetic diversity.

Je m’intéresse à l’écologie évolutive et en particulier à l’évolution des systèmes de reproduction, à l’adaptation et aux interactions de ces deux processus. En effet, les modèles théoriques ainsi qu’un certain nombre d’observations en populations naturelles soulignent que le système de reproduction devrait avoir un effet majeur sur les processus évolutifs et démographiques en populations naturelles. Lors de ma thèse, j’aborde ces thèmes sous divers angles à partir d’une Brassicacée tolérante et hyper-accumulatrice aux métaux lourds, Noccaea caerulescens, et à partir de modèles théoriques. Dans un premier temps, je m’intéresse à la variation du système de reproduction en populations naturelles. Comment s’organisent les flux de gènes entre populations ou sous-populations, et entre individus d’une même population ? Je me suis particulièrement intéressée à l’influence de la pollution des sols sur le taux d’autofécondation chez N. caerulescens, aux flux de gènes entre populations vivant dans les mines et populations vivant sur des sols non contaminés, et à la structure à l’intérieur des populations. Afin de mieux comprendre les facteurs influençant le système de reproduction, j’ai ensuite testé l’effet de la densité en plantes sur le taux d’autofécondations en populations naturelles. Dans un second temps, je teste les interactions existant entre adaptation à des milieux potentiellement très toxiques et système de reproduction. Plus spécifiquement, je teste si la dépression de consanguinité dépend du niveau de stress que subissent les populations, en interaction avec l’histoire des pressions de sélection qu’on subies les populations par le passé. Enfin, à l’aide de simulations, j’étudie comment la variation interannuelle du système de reproduction peut influencer la probabilité d’adaptation de populations faisant face à un changement environnemental. / During my PhD, I focused on the evolution of mating system, adaptation and the mutual influences of both processes. I have been studying different aspects of this interaction using a hypertolerant, hyperaccumulator plant species, Noccaea caerulescens. This species grows on former mines and non-contaminated soils in Europe and in particularly in the Cévennes, and it is an excellent model to study the interaction of local adaptation in a heterogeneous environment and mating system. Firstly, I finely characterized N. caerulescens mating system in natural population, and see how metal pollution affects the variation of mating system in the Cévennes region. I showed that contrary to a couple of classical results (Antonovics 1968), in this system, metallicolous populations have lower self-fertilization rates than nonmetallicolous populations (article submitted). I then tested our best potential factor potentially explaining the variation of mating system in natural populations: plant density. In two different measures, with two different methods, density seems to have no or only a weak effect on self-fertilization rates in Noccaea caerulescens (article in prep). In a second project, I test the interaction between inbreeding depression, stress and the history of adaptation to a given environment using Noccaea caerulescens. Inbreeding depression is known to vary with environment and, sometimes, stress. Both experimental data (Long et al 2013) and theoretical models (Ronce et al 2009) stress the importance of the effect of the history of selection and adaptation in populations on the magnitude of inbreeding depression. Since we have populations of Noccaea caerulescens that are adapted to different levels of pollution, since different levels of pollution impose differential stress on the two ecotypes (strong polution is not good for nonmetallicolous plants) and since the species is self-compatible, this seems like an excellent system to test predictions on the interaction of inbreeding depression and mating system.

O pinhão manso é uma pequena árvore tropical que adquiriu importância econômica pelo conteúdo de óleo em suas sementes e pela possibilidade de sua utilização para produção de biocombustível. As sementes e o óleo do pinhão manso são tóxicos devido principalmente à presença de ésteres de forbol, o que dificulta a sua utilização direta para o consumo humano e também dos resíduos para a alimentação animal. A falta de programas de melhoramento e cultivares comerciais e problemas com pragas e doenças estão desestimulando o cultivo do pinhão manso pelo mundo. Por se tratar de uma espécie semi-domesticada, a utilização de marcadores moleculares como ITS, PCR-RFLP, microssatélites e TRAP poderia auxiliar nos estudos de diversidade genética, visando o desenvolvimento de variedades adaptadas às necessidades dos agricultores. O objetivo deste estudo foi caracterizar a variabilidade genética de acessos de pinhão manso depositados no Banco de Germoplasma da Universidade Federal de São Carlos, além de possibilitar estudos sobre as relações entre as populações, centros de diversidade e determinar o sistema reprodutivo da espécie. Os resultados são discutidos destacando que a maior parte da diversidade encontra-se entre as populações estudadas. Os resultados derivados dos quatro marcadores utilizados corroboram que o centro de diversidade da espécie possivelmente está na América, com destaque para o México, Brasil e Colômbia. Os resultados apontam também para a diferenciação genética dos acessos atóxicos dos mexicanos quando comparados com os demais acessos tóxicos de pinhão manso. Os marcadores microssatélites desenvolvidos indicam que o pinhão manso apresenta um sistema misto de reprodução, combinando autofecundações, apomixia e cruzamento entre indivíduos aparentados, o que pode explicar a menor diversidade genética encontrada dentro das populações. Devido ao sistema misto de reprodução e aos acasalamentos correlacionados, a coleta de sementes de polinização aberta para fins de melhoramento ou conservação deve ser conduzida em um número de árvores acima de 100, visando garantir uma amostra estruturada / Physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.) is a tropical tree that has acquired economic importance for the content of oil in its seeds and the possibility of its use for biofuel production. However, oil seeds and physic nut are toxic because of the presence of secondary metabolites such as phorbol esters which makes its use directly for human consumption and also its waste for animal feed difficult. The lack of commercial varieties and problems with pests and diseases are making physic nut cultivation in the world unattractive. The use of molecular markers such as ITS, PCR-RFLP, microsatellites and TRAP can help in studies of genetic diversity, aimed at developing varieties adapted to farmers needs. The aim of this study was to characterize the genetic variability of physic nut accessions deposited in the Germplasm Bank of the \'Universidade Federal de São Carlos\', in addition to allowing studies on the relationship among accessions, centers of diversity and reproductive system. Results are discussed highlighting that most diversity is concentrated among populations. The four markers used indicated that the center of diversity of this species is probably in America with emphasis on Mexico, Brazil and Colombia. The microsatellite markers indicate that physic nut has a mixed system of reproduction, combining self-pollinations, apomixis and crossing between related individuals which may explain the small genetic diversity found within populations. Due to the mixed system of reproduction and correlated mating, the collection of open-pollinated seeds for plant breeding or conservation should be conducted in a number of trees above 100 in order to ensure a structured sample

Unequal sex ratios are widespread in dioecious plants and understanding their cause is important to understanding fundamental aspects of their population dynamics, and yet what causes biased sex ratios in plants is still poorly understood. Competition experiments have been used in plants to predict the outcome of species interactions, but they have rarely been used to help explain sex ratio bias. This study used a response surface competition design to measure the relative competitive abilities of the sexes of the bryophyte Marchantia inflexa (a thallus liverwort of Marchantiaceae) to predict the outcome of competition before the onset of sexual reproductive structures. In bryophytes, dioecy and sex ratio bias is especially common, making them effective organisms for studying sex ratio bias. Given the frequency of female bias in bryophytes, the hypothesis was that females will show a higher competitive ability relative to males. The experiment was conducted in greenhouse conditions at several densities and proportions over the course of seven months. As individuals grew and formed clumps, identities were tracked, and growth measurements were made using photographs and computer imaging software. Both sexes grew on average 41% more with the opposite sex relative to their single-sex cultures. A model predicting future sex ratios showed coexistence between the sexes and predicted a male biased sex ratio of 3.2 males to 1 female. A trade-off was observed for males where single-sex cultures contained more asexual structures than mixed-sex cultures and the reverse for growth rate. Higher levels of asexual reproduction in males in single-sex cultures might be selected for to increase male dispersal for a higher probability of encountering females. This pattern was not found for females. The overyielding results suggest an interaction effect may exist due to niche differentiation between the sexes. In addition, the results suggest that in some dioecious plants a change in sex ratio can occur before differences in their allocation to sexual reproduction.

Ce travail s’est intéressé aux liens existant entre la stratégie d’exploitation développée par un crustacé ectoparasite et son comportement reproductif. Le crabe Pinnotheridae Dissodactylus primitivus exploite deux espèces Spatangidae vivant dans la Mer des Caraïbes, Meoma ventricosa et Plagiobrissus grandis. Des approches comportementales, démographiques et génétiques ont été adoptées afin de mettre en lumière le fonctionnement et la biologie de cette symbiose. Par son comportement alimentaire, le crabe occasionne des lésions tégumentaires sur ses hôtes. Celles-ci affectent la fitness de M. ventricosa, au travers de son développement gonadique. Dissodactylus primitivus exploite ses deux espèces hôtes de façon asymétrique. La reproduction des parasites se déroule sur les deux hôtes, alors que le recrutement ne s’effectue que sur M. ventricosa. Ce cycle vital asymétrique du crabe serait stabilisé par la qualité et la rareté de P. grandis. En outre, Le comportement sexuel du crabe sur M. ventricosa répondrait aux critères de la polygynandrie à femelles mobiles. Selon ce modèle, les mâles et les femelles se déplacent entre les hôtes à la recherche de partenaires multiples. Lors de ces déplacements, le crabe s’aiderait de son aptitude à localiser chimiquement ses hôtes. Néanmoins, ce mécanisme s’avère plastique et pourrait refléter l’asymétrie du cycle vital. En effet, cette différence n’a pas d’origine génétique, car les crabes vivant au sein du site d’étude constituent la même population quelle que soit l’espèce hôte considérée. Les marqueurs moléculaires microsatellites mis au point dans ce travail permettront lors de futurs travaux d’affiner les observations sur les modalités d’accouplement du crabe et d’estimer sa capacité de dispersion. This work aimed to highlight the relationships between the host exploitation strategy of an ectoparasite crustacean and its mating system. The pea crab Dissodactylus primitivus exploits two Spatangidae species living in the Caribbean Sea, Meoma ventricosa and Plagiobrissus grandis. Behavioural, demographic and genetic approaches have been conducted to examine the functioning and biology of this symbiosis. Owing to its feeding behaviour, the crab wounds the host tegument. The wounds negatively affect M. ventricosa's fitness through its gonadic development. Dissodactylus primitivus asymmetrically exploits its two host species. The reproduction of the parasites happens on each host, but the recruitment only takes place on M. ventricosa. The asymmetrical life cycle would be stabilised par the quality and the scarcity of P. grandis. The mating system of crabs living on M. ventricosa would correspond to the Pure-search polygynandry of mobile females criteria. According to this model, the males and the females practice the host switching behaviour to find several sexual partners. During these movements, the crab could use its chemodetection ability to locate its hosts. However, this mechanism is plastic and presumably reflects the asymmetrical life cycle of the crab. This difference has indeed not a genetic cause because the crabs living inside the investigated region belong to the same population, whatever the regarded host species. In future studies, the microsatellites markers developed for this work could be used to test the mating system of D. primitivus and to estimate its dispersion ability.