Proefschrift--Leyden. / "Literatuur": p. [88]-92.

Dissertation (M.S.)--The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2008. / Directed by Bruce Kirchoff; submitted to the Dept. of Biology. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Feb. 2, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 134-146).

L’étude qui s’ouvre se propose d’explorer, de définir et de valider une question d’un grand intérêt épistémologique transdisciplinaire, celui de l’existence des rôles, de la conscience de rôle et des relations de rôles. Elle veut donner un statut et une fonction à cette notion de rôle pour les sciences humaines, cela en prêtant attention aux évolutions de ces rôles au cours des derniers siècles. Partant de l’idée que nous sommes toujours en rôle, qu’il n’y a pas d’hors-rôle possible, que la rencontre intersubjective se fait toujours à travers des rôles, transitoires ou pérennes, cette recherche veut voir les aspects positifs et structurants, et aussi ses écueils, autant pour l’individu que pour le corps social, de ce système ou dispositif des rôles. La constitution de ces rôles et de leurs contenus réalise en effet un dispositif médiateur d’une importance particulière, définissant selon diverses modalités les attentes et accords que nous avons les uns vis-à-vis des autres, régulant l’organisation des liens et des tâches. Nous verrons comment les rôles se constituent, s’édifient, se redéfinissent et se réinventent constamment. Cette question du partage des rôles et de l’adhésion de chacun aux rôles, éventuelle et toujours problématique, doit être pensée dans la perspective du vivant. Un regard phylogénétique permet d’inscrire la formation du système des rôles comme une nécessité du vivant : pour confirmer cette thèse, on a eu recours non seulement à l’observation du monde animal mais on a voulu considérer également l’hypothèse de la néoténie humaine. S’approchant des implications psychologiques et psychopathologiques de la question, il revient à cette recherche d’explorer les différentes manières et modalités par lesquelles on se rapporte aux rôles. Sommes-nous toujours conscients du fait que nous occupons un ou plusieurs rôles et que c’est à nous d’en élaborer ou concevoir le cahier de charge ? Comment et pourquoi y adhérer ? C’est à partir de ces questions que s’est imposée l’analyse de la désinvolture, attitude qui porte la marque d’une légèreté ou négligence dans l’engagement et l’investissement de ces rôles que chacun s’est assigné d’occuper : par cette légèreté, par des impensées ou des négligences, faute d’une conscience de rôle pas ou peu élaborée, l’individu est souvent amené à échouer dans son rôle, à le manquer, sans lui restituer de réponses de substitutions. Une analyse anthropo-phénoménologique de la désinvolture montrera comment cette attitude, très proche de l’immaturité au point d’en être, dans certains cas, considérée comme une ultime manifestation, est présente, de manières différentes, aussi dans divers contextes pathologiques (personnalités pathologiques ou parfois pathologies véritables) soit par excès ou par défaut (chez le Typus Melancolicus, la désinvolture est totalement absente). Entre normalité et pathologies (pathopsychologiques aussi bien que pathoéducatives), le statut de la désinvolture est complexe car cette attitude est également associée à de nombreuses transgressions, que ce soit volontairement ou involontairement, par les nombreux impensés de rôle qui la caractérisent : le domaine de la sécurité routière exprime bien la dynamique désinvolte par le grand nombre de fautes d’imprudences, imprévoyances, inconséquences ou négligences ressortissant à ce registre des comportements désinvoltes. L’étude des liens entre désinvolture et transgressions alimente ainsi l’analyse formelle de la transgression (transgressologie générale). Une transgressologie générale se doit de mettre en évidence les modalités et raisons primaires de ces transgressions, quels que soient les accords préalables et la nature de ce qui est transgressé. / This study aims to explore, define and validate a topic of great epistemological transdisciplinary interest, which is the existence of roles (anthropological, emotional and social roles), the role-consciousness and the role relationships. Indeed, the study aims to provide a status and a function to the notion of role for the human sciences, paying attention to the evolution of roles over the latest centuries. Taking into the account that we are always in the role (thrown to roles), the out-role is not possible, the inter-meeting is carried out through transient or everlasting roles, this research aims to consider its positive and its structuring aspects but also its obstacles, both referred to the individual and the social body. In fact, the establishment of roles and their contents outlines a particularly important mediator device, defining, in different ways, expectations and agreements that might have both elements, adjusting the organization of ties (benefits, obligations and constraints) and tasks. We will analyze whether this system of roles allows a limitation of the conflicts and an optimization of ergonomic or emotional subdivision, whether these roles can receive adaptations, redefinitions and necessary modulations. We will see how the roles are constantly built, redefined and reinvented. The issue of the partition of roles and the compliance of each person to his own role, if any and always problematic, must be analyzed from the living perspective. A phylogenetic perspective allows us to look at the formation of the system of roles as one of the living necessities: to confirm this thesis, we have observed not only the animal world, but we have also considered the possibility of human neoteny.Approaching the psychological and psychopathological implications of the matter, the task of this research is to explore the different ways by which we relate to the roles. Are we always aware of the fact we play one or more roles, and that we are in charge of elaborating the relevant tasks? How and why to join them? Starting from these questions, an analysis on nonchalance has emerged. The nonchalance, also defined as ease or calmness, is the attitude of carelessness or negligence in the commitment and investment of the roles that each person has chosen to play: through this carelessness or negligence, through what has not been thought (or evaluated) the individual is often led to fail in his role, to miss it, without giving him alternative answers. This happens due to a little or not elaborate role-consciousness. An anthropological-phenomenological analysis will show how this attitude of nonchalance - very close to immaturity to the point of being considered, in some cases, as a last manifestation of immaturity - is present in a different ways, also in various pathological contexts (pathological personality or sometimes true pathologies), both for defect and for excess (the Typus melancolicus does not express nonchalance at all).Stuck between normality and pathology, the status of nonchalance is complex since this attitude is associated with numerous voluntary or involuntary transgressions, due to the many aspects that have not been previously taken into account and that characterize it: the field of road safety shows the ease dynamic works, because of the many errors committed by imprudence, improvidence, incoherence or negligence that belong to the register of nonchalant behavior. The study of the links between confidence and transgressions feeds the formal analysis of the transgression (General transgressology). A general trasngressology has the task of highlighting the mode and the primary reasons for these transgressions, whatever the agreement and nature of what has been transgressed is.

Cette thèse poursuit un double objectif. D’une part, montrer l’apport que constitue la philosophie de Gilbert Simondon à une compréhension renouvelée du design et des problématiques contemporaines qui l’habitent. D’autre part, renverser l’image communément attribuée au design : alors que celui-ci se présente majoritairement comme une force de résolution de problèmes, d’innovation et de progrès, l’anthropotechnologie déployée par Simondon interroge cette prétention démiurgique. La première partie de ce travail s’intéresse aux conditions historiques de ce dialogue entre la philosophie simondonienne et la pensée du design des années 1950. La deuxième partie problématise la pensée contemporaine du design : en centrant son activité sur la figure de l’« usager », celle-ci évacue la question de la matérialité de notre environnement et des relations écologiques que nous tissons avec elle. La pensée de Simondon ouvre, au contraire, la voie d’une « rematérialisation » de la pensée design. La troisième partie nous immerge dans le monde spécifique des pratiques de conception dans le but d’informer la logique propre au geste de design en train de se faire. Il s’agit alors de penser le design à partir de ce qu’il produit littéralement : non pas des biens de consommation, ni des services améliorant la qualité de vie des « usagers », mais une multitude de diagrammes, prototypes et maquettes donnant forme à un problème de conception. En suivant les pratiques de conception de ce point de vue endogène, il s’agit de rendre compte des conséquences politiques d’une telle opération. Le design se définit alors comme un lieu fragile d’exploration, d’expérimentation et d’invention de problématiques présentes ralentissant toute promesse de progrès futurs. / This thesis has a twofold objective. On the one hand, to examine the contribution of Gilbert Simondon’s philosophy to a renewed understanding of design and to the contemporary issues that inhabit it (relation to the user, to ecology). On the other hand, to invert the image commonly attributed to design: while this one presents itself mainly as a force for solving problems, innovation and progress, the anthropo-technology deployed by Gilbert Simondon questions this demiurgic claim. The first part of this work focuses on the historical conditions of this dialogue between the Simondonian philosophy and the thought of design in the 1950s. The second part problematizes the contemporary thinking of design: by focusing its activity on the figure of the “user”, it evacuates the question of our environment materiality and the ecological relations that we forge with it. Then, the thought of Simondon opens the way to a “rematerialization” of design thinking. The third part immerses us in the specific world of design practices to trace the logic of design in the making. It is then a question of thinking design from what it produces literally: not consumer goods, nor services improving the quality of life of “users”, but a multitude of diagrams, prototypes and models giving shape to a design problem. Thus, design first produces “designing” objects — questioning our ways of dwelling the world — before populating the world with “designed” objects. By following the design practices from this endogenous point of view, we account for the political consequences of such an operation. Design is then defined as a fragile place of exploration, experimentation and invention of current problems slowing down any promise of future progress.

A neotenia é um importante processo biológico-evolutivo que conserva traços fenotípicos do jovem no indivíduo adulto. A neotenia modifica a velocidade típica da ontogênese das características morfológicas compartilhadas pelos ancestrais. Essas mudanças podem representar oportunidades de mudanças fenotípicas dramáticas com poucas alterações genéticas, possibilitando alterações de estados especializados. O etólogo Konrad Lorenz reconheceu características neotênicas em humanos e algumas espécies de mamíferos na fórmula estrutural do corpo (principalmente da face) típica de infantes. Essa fórmula corpórea foi batizada por Lorenz de Kindchenschema. Os humanos típicos respondem quando observam traços infantis ativando uma resposta chamada de Efeito Kindchenschema (EK). Neste efeito verifica-se uma diminuição da agressividade, estimulação do cuidado parental e engajamento social. São raros os trabalhos de escaneamento do olhar em portadores de disfunções do neurodesenvolvimento, como a Síndrome de Williams (SW) e o Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA). O presente trabalho é o primeiro na literatura a investigar o escaneamento do olhar em portadores de SW e TEA usando estímulos faciais neotênicos de humanos e animais. Na presente investigação foram estudados 21 portadores de SW e 25 portadores de TEA, o grupo controle (GC) contou com 33 participantes. Encontramos uma correspondência entre os resultados declarados do estímulo preferido e o tempo de fixação. Os resultados mostraram que todos os participantes fixaram mais a região dos olhos de humanos e animais, sendo que o GC fixou mais tempo do que os portadores de SW e TEA. Foi possível separar usando o tempo de fixação nos olhos e HeatMaps os três grupos investigados. É viável a produção de um exame clínico auxiliar rápido e não-invasivo para indivíduos com suspeita de uma disfunção do neurodesenvolvimento. Talvez a região do nariz e boca sejam menos importantes e as orelhas mais importantes do que pensávamos nos estímulos neotênicos. Os estímulos mais neotênicos de infantes humanos e animais produziram um padrão semelhantes do tempo de fixação nos três grupos estudados. Esses resultados demonstram que portadores de SW e TEA respondem positivamente a estímulos faciais neotênicos. Sugerimos que as novas investigações na área incorporem também como variáveis faciais as orelhas, cor do cabelo e olhos, e simetria facial / Neoteny is an important biological-evolutionary process that retains phenotypic traits of the young in the adult individual of a species. Neoteny modifies the typical ontogeny velocity of the morphological characteristics shared with the ancestors. These changes may represent opportunities for dramatic phenotype modifications with few genetic changes, allowing for alterations in specialized states. The ethologist Konrad Lorenz has recognized neotenic characteristics in humans and some species of mammals in the structural formula of the body (mainly of the face) typical of infants. This body formula was named by Lorenz Kindchenschema. Typical humans respond when they observe infant traits by activating a response called the Kindchenschema Effect (KE). In this effect, there is a decrease in aggressiveness, stimulation of parental care and social engagement. There is a paucity of eye scanning in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders such as Williams Syndrome (WS) and Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The present work is the first in the literature to investigate the eye scanning in WS and ASD patients using neotenic facial stimuli of humans and animals. In the present investigation, 21 WS and 25 ASD participants were studied. The control group (CG) had 33 participants. We found a correspondence between the stated results of the preferred stimulus and the fixation time. The results showed that all the participants fixed more the region of the eyes of humans and animals, and the CG fixed more time than the WS and ASD participants. It was possible to distinguish, using the fixation time in the eyes and Heat Maps, the three groups. The production of a rapid and non-invasive auxiliary clinical examination is feasible for individuals suspected in presenting a neurodevelopmental dysfunction. Perhaps the nose and mouth areas are less important, and the ears are more important than previously considered with respect. The more neotenic stimuli of human and animal infants produced a similar pattern of fixation time in the three groups studied. This may represent a greater adaptive value than we thought of those with WS and ASD. We suggest that the new investigations can also incorporate facial variables as ears, hair color and eyes, and facial symmetry

A neotenia é um importante processo biológico-evolutivo que conserva traços fenotípicos do jovem no indivíduo adulto. A neotenia modifica a velocidade típica da ontogênese das características morfológicas compartilhadas pelos ancestrais. Essas mudanças podem representar oportunidades de mudanças fenotípicas dramáticas com poucas alterações genéticas, possibilitando alterações de estados especializados. O etólogo Konrad Lorenz reconheceu características neotênicas em humanos e algumas espécies de mamíferos na fórmula estrutural do corpo (principalmente da face) típica de infantes. Essa fórmula corpórea foi batizada por Lorenz de Kindchenschema. Os humanos típicos respondem quando observam traços infantis ativando uma resposta chamada de Efeito Kindchenschema (EK). Neste efeito verifica-se uma diminuição da agressividade, estimulação do cuidado parental e engajamento social. São raros os trabalhos de escaneamento do olhar em portadores de disfunções do neurodesenvolvimento, como a Síndrome de Williams (SW) e o Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA). O presente trabalho é o primeiro na literatura a investigar o escaneamento do olhar em portadores de SW e TEA usando estímulos faciais neotênicos de humanos e animais. Na presente investigação foram estudados 21 portadores de SW e 25 portadores de TEA, o grupo controle (GC) contou com 33 participantes. Encontramos uma correspondência entre os resultados declarados do estímulo preferido e o tempo de fixação. Os resultados mostraram que todos os participantes fixaram mais a região dos olhos de humanos e animais, sendo que o GC fixou mais tempo do que os portadores de SW e TEA. Foi possível separar usando o tempo de fixação nos olhos e HeatMaps os três grupos investigados. É viável a produção de um exame clínico auxiliar rápido e não-invasivo para indivíduos com suspeita de uma disfunção do neurodesenvolvimento. Talvez a região do nariz e boca sejam menos importantes e as orelhas mais importantes do que pensávamos nos estímulos neotênicos. Os estímulos mais neotênicos de infantes humanos e animais produziram um padrão semelhantes do tempo de fixação nos três grupos estudados. Esses resultados demonstram que portadores de SW e TEA respondem positivamente a estímulos faciais neotênicos. Sugerimos que as novas investigações na área incorporem também como variáveis faciais as orelhas, cor do cabelo e olhos, e simetria facial / Neoteny is an important biological-evolutionary process that retains phenotypic traits of the young in the adult individual of a species. Neoteny modifies the typical ontogeny velocity of the morphological characteristics shared with the ancestors. These changes may represent opportunities for dramatic phenotype modifications with few genetic changes, allowing for alterations in specialized states. The ethologist Konrad Lorenz has recognized neotenic characteristics in humans and some species of mammals in the structural formula of the body (mainly of the face) typical of infants. This body formula was named by Lorenz Kindchenschema. Typical humans respond when they observe infant traits by activating a response called the Kindchenschema Effect (KE). In this effect, there is a decrease in aggressiveness, stimulation of parental care and social engagement. There is a paucity of eye scanning in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders such as Williams Syndrome (WS) and Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The present work is the first in the literature to investigate the eye scanning in WS and ASD patients using neotenic facial stimuli of humans and animals. In the present investigation, 21 WS and 25 ASD participants were studied. The control group (CG) had 33 participants. We found a correspondence between the stated results of the preferred stimulus and the fixation time. The results showed that all the participants fixed more the region of the eyes of humans and animals, and the CG fixed more time than the WS and ASD participants. It was possible to distinguish, using the fixation time in the eyes and Heat Maps, the three groups. The production of a rapid and non-invasive auxiliary clinical examination is feasible for individuals suspected in presenting a neurodevelopmental dysfunction. Perhaps the nose and mouth areas are less important, and the ears are more important than previously considered with respect. The more neotenic stimuli of human and animal infants produced a similar pattern of fixation time in the three groups studied. This may represent a greater adaptive value than we thought of those with WS and ASD. We suggest that the new investigations can also incorporate facial variables as ears, hair color and eyes, and facial symmetry

Cette thèse soutient avec la théorie de la néoténie linguistique l’idée que l’ordre déjà établi par une langue chez le locuteur nouvellement bilingue n’est plus stable lors de l’insertion d’une deuxième langue et ensuite, la concurrence non égalitaire qui se révèle entre les deux. Entre la langue et l’identité, il existe une interdépendance. Le bilingue français-persan subordonné, ayant immigré à un territoire francophone à l’âge linguistiquement adulte, tâche d’insérer un autre système de comportements linguistiques, une autre manière d’être, dans un espace cognitif qui, n’en éprouve pas le besoin de continuer pour fonctionner normalement. Donc il s’affranchit du monolinguisme persanophone, i.e. de son spécialisation naturelle, pour opter au bilinguisme français-persan. L’enfant bilingue français-persan issu de famille linguistiquement mixte, est théoriquement conçu pour créer son être immanent dans les deux langues. Mais en réalité, la valorisation des langues française et persane, la scolarisation, le choix de la langue familiale et plusieurs d’autres paramètres déterminants effectuent des changements considérables dans le choix de la langue du locuteur concerné. Si le sentiment d’autosuffisance permet au locuteur bilingue français-persan d’être identifiable à la satisfaction de son environnement linguistique en français, l’appropriation et la pratique du persan, dans la famille pour lui ne reste plus une nécessité absolue car il se voit dans un univers linguistique, mental et culturel dont la réalité orale est plus pertinente avec la sphère sociale. / This dissertation, using the theory of linguistic neoteny, supports the idea that the order initially established by a language in a speaker who has become bilingual at a later stage is no longer stable at the time when the second language is inserted, and subsequently an unequal competition between the two languages becomes apparent. There exists an interdependence between the language and the identity of the speaker. The subordinated French-Persian bilingual, who has immigrated to a francophone area at the age of linguistic adulthood, tries to insert another system of linguistic behavior, another mode of being, in a cognitive space which does not sustain the need to continue to function normally. Thus, s/he overcomes his/her Persian monolingualism, that is, his/her natural specialization, in order to opt for French-Persian bilingualism.The French-Persian bilingual child born into alinguistically mixed family is theoretically conceived to create his/her immanent being in both languages.But in reality, the value ascribed to a language, schooling, the choice of family language, and several other determining factors significantly affect the speaker’s choice of his/her preferred language. If the French-Persian bilingual’s sense of self-sufficiency allows him/her to identify him-/herself as a speaker of French to the satisfaction of his/her linguistic environment, the appropriation and practice of Persian in his/her family are no longer strictly necessary because s/he sees him-/herself in a mental, cultural and linguistic universe whose oral reality is more relevant to the social sphere.

A key question in biology is how changes in gene function or regulation produce new morphologies during evolution. The nectar spur is an evolutionarily labile structure known to influence speciation in a broad range of angiosperm taxa. Here, the genetic basis of nectar spur development, and the evolution of differences in nectar spur morphology, is investigated in Linaria vulgaris and two closely related species of orchid, the primitively longer-spurred Dactylorhiza fuchsii, and more derived short-spurred D. viridis (Orchidinae, Orchidaceae). Despite considerable morphological and phylogenetic differences, nectar spur ontogeny is fundamentally similar in each of the study species, proceeding from an abaxial bulge formed on the ventral petal relatively late in petal morphogenesis. However, spur development is progenetically curtailed in the short-spurred orchid D. viridis. In each case spur development involves class 1 KNOTTED1-like homeobox (KNOX) proteins. KNOX gene expression is not restricted to the spur-bearing petal, indicating that additional components are required to define nectar spur position, e.g. canonical ABC genes, determinants of floral zygomorphy, and additional (currently unknown) factors. However, constitutive expression of class 1 KNOX proteins in transgenic tobacco produces flowers with ectopic outgrowths on the petals, indicating that KNOX proteins alone are, to some degree, capable of inducing structures similar to nectar spurs in a heterologous host. Interestingly, KNOX gene expression is high in the ovary of all study taxa, suggesting that KNOX proteins may also have been involved in the evolution of this key angiosperm feature. Although principally involved in maintaining indeterminacy in the shoot apical meristem (SAM), members of the KNOX gene family have been co-opted in the evolution and development of compound leaves where they suppress differentiation and extend the morphogenetic potential of the leaf. A similar model is presented here to explain the role of KNOX proteins in nectar spur development. Co-option of KNOX gene expression to the maturing perianth delays cellular differentiation, facilitating the development of the nectar spur but requiring additional, unknown factors, to determine nectar spur fate. As facilitators of nectar spur development, changes in the spatio-temporal patterns of KNOX gene expression may alter the potential for nectar spur development and explain the critical length differences observed between the orchids D. fuchsii and D. viridis (and among other angiosperm taxa). Taken together, the available data indicate that KNOX genes confer a meristematic state upon plant tissues in a variety of morphogenetic contexts, making the gene family a potentially versatile tool to mediate a wide variety of evolutionary transformations.

Cette thèse explore le concept de consumer childlikeness, lequel n’a pas d’équivalent en français. Consumer childlikeness renvoie ici à une orientation enfantine du consommateur adulte. Il s’agit d’un état d’esprit et d’un comportement que la société associe généralement à ceux de l’enfant. L’exploration de ce concept s’appuie sur une approche interprétativiste que j’appelle réaliste, présentée dans l’essai I. Les trois autres essais de cette thèse, dédiés au concept de consumer childlikeness, offrent un exemple de recherche interprétativiste réaliste. Le concept de consumer childlikeness est exploré à un niveau micro en adoptant des perspectives évolutionniste (essai II) et existentielle (essai III). Pour terminer, le concept est étudié au niveau macro à partir d’une perspective postmoderne et psycho-analytique (essai IV) / This thesis explores consumer childlikeness by taking a realist interpretivist approach. The three other essays of this thesis, dedicated to consumer childlikeness, offer an example of realist interpretivist research. Consumer childlikeness is explored at a micro level by adopting evolutionary (essay II) and existential perspectives (essay III). It is finally explored at a macro level within a postmodern and psychoanalytical framework (essay IV)

L’objectif principal de cette thèse est d’identifier les facteurs urbains et les caractéristiques biologiques de Reticulitermes flavipes qui ont permis à cette espèce invasive de coloniser et de persister en milieu urbain. Plus précisément, les études développées ont visé à mieux comprendre l’origine des colonies introduites à Paris, de déterminer comment celles-ci étaient arrivées en ville et, comment, malgré les moyens de lutte mis en oeuvre au cours de ces dernières décennies elles ont persisté dans le paysage parisien. Une première étude nous a permis de voir que les colonies présentes à Paris sont capables de persister et de réinfester des zones qui ont été précédemment traitées. Ces réinfestations sont possibles grâce aux modes de reproduction (néoténie) et de dispersion (par bouturage) de cette espèce qui lui permettent de survivre localement et de recoloniser des zones où les colonies avaient été partiellement éradiquées et ce, même après 15 ans. Dans une seconde étude, nous avons pu montrer deux facteurs majeurs pouvant expliquer la distribution et la propagation de R. flavipes à Paris : la structure complexe des colonies observées et la combinaison spécifique des variables de l’environnement parisien. Enfin, dans la troisième étude, nous avons décrit la dynamique d’expansion de cette espèce à des échelles nationales et régionales. Cette étude révèle des patterns de distribution variés, reflétant les caractéristiques propres des populations invasives de cette espèce en France. Dans ce travail, nous avons discuté de l’implication des caractéristiques biologiques et paysagères sur le succès invasif de cette espèce. Au vue des données obtenues au cours de cette thèse, nous avons également précisé les scénarios concernant l’histoire de l’invasion de ce termite en France, puis nous avons présenté quelques outils et préconisations qui pourraient permettre, selon nous, d’améliorer la lutte contre cet insecte nuisible en ville. / The main objective of this thesis is to identify the urban factors and biological characteristics of Reticulitermes flavipes which have allowed this invasive species to colonize and persist in urban habitat. More specifically, the developed studies aimed at better understanding the origin of introduced colonies in Paris as well as determining how they persisted in the Parisian landscape, despite implementing pest control during the last decades. A first study allowed us to observe that Parisian colonies were able to persist and reinfest areas which were previously treated. These reinfestations are possible thanks to the mode of reproduction (neoteny) and the way of dispersal (by budding) of this species, which allows it to locally survive and recolonize areas where colonies had been partially eradicated, even fifteen years later. In a second study, we were able to highlight two main factors which could explain the distribution and propagation of R. flavipes in Paris: the observed complex colony structure and the specific combination of the Parisian environmental variables. Finally, in a third study, we were able to identify its dynamic of expansion at national and regional scales which showed varied distribution patterns, reflecting the peculiar characteristics of these invasive species populations in France. In this piece of work, we analyzed the implications of the biological and landscape characteristics on the successful invasion of this species. In the view of the data obtained in this thesis, we also suggested some scenarios on the invasion history of this termite species in France and we provided tools and recommendations which, according to us, could allow the improvement of pest management of this insect in cities.