Enric Frago is a researcher at CIRAD (Agricultural Research for Development) and is currently based at CBGP (Centre for Biology and Management of Populations).
Enric Frago holds a B.Sc. in Biology, a M.Sc. in Animal and Marine Biology and a Ph.D. in Insect Ecology. He studies insects to understand the ecological processes that shape plant-based terrestrial ecosystems. Insects engage in complex interactions with their natural enemies, their host plants, and with microbial partners associated with these three trophic levels. He aims at understanding these interactions to provide fundamental ecological knowledge, but also to help manage species that have a negative impact on agricultural or forest ecosystems.
Currently he studies the ecology of whiteflies and thrips by developing an experimental community ecology program to understand and control pest species in greenhouses. This program involves the study of indirect effects, a type of interaction that occurs when two members in a community (whether they are insects, plants or microbes) interact through a third player. In particular, he explores the role of natural enemies in mediating apparent competition and mutualism, plant-mediated indirect interactions, and the role of insect symbionts in this context. He has 34 peer-reviewed publications, an h-index of 14 and >700 citations. He is part of the Editorial board of Entomologia Generalis and reviews an average of 20 manuscripts per year.
