Dietrich H.P. Schneider

Research of his emeritus years relates mainly to questions of chemical ecology. His former work on insect olfaction and pheromone recognition led eventually to the discovery of plant derived, toxic precursors of male pheromones. His present interest are competitive, parasitic and/or mutalistic interactions between the green plants and their consumers which must have started in early eras of life. A striking example are the highly toxic palm-ferns, the cycads, and their consumer beetles, which are also their symbiotic pollinators.