Dr Andres Arce

Profile

Biography

I’m a Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Conservation at Edge Hill University, specialising in evolutionary biology, insect ecology, and environmental stressors affect insect. My research is currently focused on understanding how anthropogenic pressures, such as pesticide exposure and environmental change, affect the behaviour, physiology, and population dynamics of insects, with a focus on bumblebees.

A central theme of my research is the impact of pesticides, particularly neonicotinoids, on pollinator health. My recent work demonstrate how exposure alters behaviour, learning, brain development, and gene expression in bumblebees, providing critical evidence for environmental risk assessment and policy development. I’ve also contributed to major collaborative efforts, including European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) guidance on pesticide risk assessment for bees, highlighting the translational relevance of my work to environmental regulation.

Beyond pollinator ecology, my research includes work on social and evolutionary processes in insects, including antimicrobial defences, social immunity, and host–microbe interactions. My early work on burying beetles and microbial ecology reflects a broader interest in how ecological interactions shape evolutionary outcomes across taxa – something which I’d like to get back to eventually.