NIB

My research interests are the acoustic (vibrational) and olfactory communication of the insects. I conduct my work on two different levels:

• behavioural - the communication between the male and female during precopulatory phase
• neurophysiological.

On one hand I study neurophysiology of the orientation towards the source of the vibrational signal, e.g. singing partner on the plant. I focus on how small time difference between the two inputs can the CNS detect. On the other hand I am interested in the coding of the information in the CNS and peripheral nervous system and the agonistic/antagonistic effects of noise. The latter is being investigated in the cooperation with PISC group under the leadership of dr. Michel Renou (INRA Versailles). The aim is to improve the pheromone traps.
  
With the Italian colleagues we study the effects of the external noise on the vibrational communication between the male and the female as the possible way of the biocontrol of some important plant-disease vectors.

• Čokl et al. 2004. Vibratory signals of the harlequin bug and their transmission through plants. Physiological Entomology,vol 29(4): 372-380 (link)
• Prešern J., Gogala M. & Trilar T. 2004. Comparison of Dundubia vaginata (Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadoidea) songs from Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia. Acta Entomologica Slovenica, vol. 12(2): 239–248 (pdf)
• Zorović M., Prešern J. in Čokl A. 2008. Morphology and Physiology of Vibratory Interneurons in the Thoracic Ganglia of the Southern Green Stinkbug Nezara viridula (L.). J. Comp. Neurol. 508: 365-381 (link)
• Mazzoni V., Prešern J., Lucchi A. and Virant-Doberlet M. 2008. Reproductive strategy of the Nearctic leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus Ball (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Bulletin of Entomological Research, First View Article (link)

Bibliography (COBISS)