Rodrigo Hirata Willemart

Rodrigo Hirata Willemart

Plenary Speaker

Affiliation

Professor,
University of São Paulo,
Brazil

Plenary Talk Title

The sensory biology of Opiliones, with a comparison with other arachnids

Biography

Rodrigo H. Willemart holds a doctorate in Zoology from the University of São Paulo (2005). He has a global research background, having conducted doctoral and postdoctoral work in France (Université de Bourgogne, Université de Paris XIII), Argentina (Universidad Nacional de Córdoba), Wales (Aberystwyth University), and the USA (University of Nebraska and Harvard University).

Since 2008, he has served as a professor at the University of São Paulo, where he coordinates the Laboratory of Sensory Ecology and Arachnid Behavior. His research focuses on the fascinating intersections of sensory ecology, predator-prey interactions, and scorpion control.

His plenary talk will delve into the sensory biology of Opiliones (harvestmen), offering comparative insights into how these mechanisms differ or align with other major arachnid lineages.