Key details
Professor Richard Hopkins
Head of Department, Agriculture, Health & Environment, Natural Resources Institute
Professor Richard Hopkins is the Head of Department for Agriculture, Health & Environment, Professor of Behavioural Entomology and Head of Pest Behaviour Research Group. He joined NRI in the spring of 2014, moving from the Ecology Department of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
Richard’s work on Crucifer-insect interactions has combined work on host plant selection by crop pests with work on induced changes that take place in plants following insect damage. Work on insect egg load dynamics challenged the accepted paradigm that insects reduce egg production in the absence of preferred host plants. His review of the insect-glucosinolate system produced together with Joop van Loon and Nicole van Damm is the accepted text for the subject area. He continues to work on root flies together with colleagues in Scotland.
Richard Hopkins leads research on habitat selection and egg laying site selection by mosquitoes. This work includes a string of collaborations with Prof Rickard Ignell at SLU Alnarp on the behaviour and oviposition site selection of malaria mosquitoes. In addition to this he has collaborations with The Swedish National Veterinary laboratories working on the distribution of mosquitoes in Sweden. Prof Hopkins leads a collaborative study with FIOCRUZ in Brazil on the oviposition behaviour of Aedes aegypti, the primary vector of several virus diseases including Dengue Fever and Zika.
A full staff profile can be seen on the website.
Research / Scholarly interests
Richard Hopkins retains a broad interest in insect behaviour, and works over the different scales at which insects make decisions whilst finding their hosts, resting sites and egg laying sites. This work encompasses the selection of plants within and between patches for pests of field crops, through to the selection of water bodies for egg laying by mosquitoes.
Insects make decisions about egg laying sites over increasingly fine spatial scales, starting with the selection of habitats, and ending with the choice to lay eggs, and if so how many. Over these finer spatial scales, the insects make use of an array of sensory modalities, with odour and visual cues being more dominant at distance, and contact chemoreceptors only playing a part in the final stages. The relative impact of the different senses over the process of selecting an egg laying site provides a rich area of research into questions that are important for the health of crops, livestock and people. Work on insect behaviour contributes to developing IPM (Integrated Pest Management) and IVM (Integrated Vector Management) strategies where a holistic view of the lifecycle and behaviour of the insect can link to make a sustainable strategy.
Recent publications
Article
Cooper, Amanda N. , Malmgren, Louise, Hawkes, Frances M., Farrell, Iain W. , Hien, Domonbabele F. d. S. , Hopkins, Richard J. , Lef猫vre, Thierry , Stevenson, Philip C (2025), . Nature. In: , , , . Nature, Scientific Reports, 15449: 6488 2045-2322 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-88933-1).
Archicinski, Piotr , Sikorski, Piotr, Hoppa, Adrian, Hopkins, Richard J. , Vitasovic-Kosic, Ivana , Sikorska, Daria (2024), . Sciendo. In: , , , . Sciendo, Miscellanea Geographica ISSN: 0867-6046 (Print), 2084-6118 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.2478/mgrsd-2023-0039).
Walsh, Conor , Renn, Mara, Klauser, Dominik, De Pinto, Alessandro , Haggar, Jeremy , Abdur, Rouf , Hopkins, Richard , Zamil, Farhad (2024), . Elsevier Masson - Elsevier. In: , , , . Elsevier Masson - Elsevier, Agricultural Systems, 219: 104060 ISSN: 0308-521X (Print), 1873-2267 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104060).
Carnaghi, Manuela , Mandelli, Federico, Feug猫re, Lionel, Joiner, Jillian , Belmain, Steven R. , Hopkins, Richard J. , Hawkes, Frances M. (2024), . Elsevier. In: , , , . Elsevier, STAR Protocols, 5: 103180 (3) 2666-1667 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xpro.2024.103180).
Vaux, AGC , Abbott, Anthony, Johnston, CJ, Hawkes, Frances , Hopkins, Richard , Cull, B , Gibson, Gabriella , Cheke, Robert , Callaghan, A , Medlock, JM (2024), . Koninklijke Brill BV - Brill Academic Publishers. In: , , , . Koninklijke Brill BV - Brill Academic Publishers, Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association, 2023 . pp. 1-19 2054-930X (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.52004/JEMCA20231003).
Debebe, Yared , Tekie, Habte, Dugassa, Sisay, Hopkins, Richard , Hill, Sharon , Ignell, Rickard (2024), . BioMed Central. In: , , , . BioMed Central, BMC Medicine, 22 (41) . pp. 1-10 1741-7015 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-024-03255-9).
Carnaghi, Manuela , Mandelli, Federico, Feug猫re, Lionel, Joiner, Jillian , Young, Stephen , Belmain, Steven R. , Hopkins, Richard , Hawkes, Frances (2023), . Cell Press. In: , , , . Cell Press, iScience, 27: 108578 (1) . pp. 1-17 2589-0042 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.108578).
Land, Magnus , Bundschuh, Mirco, Hopkins, Richard, Poulin, Brigitte , McKie, Brendan (2023), . Springer Nature. In: , , , . Springer Nature, Environmental Evidence, 12: 26 . pp. 1-27 2047-2382 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-023-00319-w).
David, Mariana R. , Maciel-de-Freitas, Rafael, Petersen, Martha T., Bray, Daniel , Hawkes, Frances , Fernandez-Grandon, G. Mandela , Young, Stephen , Gibson, Gabriella , Hopkins, Richard (2023), . John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. In: , , , . John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Medical and Veterinary Entomology, 2023 . pp. 1-10 ISSN: 0269-283X (Print), 1365-2915 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/mve.12670).
Hardy, Harrison , Harte, Steven, Hopkins, Richard, Mnyone, Ladslaus , Hawkes, Frances (2023), . Elsevier B.V.. In: , , , . Elsevier B.V., Acta Tropica, 244: 106954 . pp. 1-11 ISSN: 0001-706X (Print), (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106954).
Sikorska, Daria , Wojnowska-Heciak, Magdalena, Heciak, Jakub, Bukowska, Joanna , 艁aszkiewicz, Edyta , Hopkins, Richard , Sikorski, Piotr (2023), . Elsevier. In: , , , . Elsevier, Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 80: 127838 ISSN: 1618-8667 (Print), (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2023.127838).
Hardy, Harrison , Hopkins, Richard, Mnyone, Ladslaus, Hawkes, Frances (2022), . BMC. In: , , , . BMC, Parasites and Vectors, 15 (472) . pp. 1-14 ISSN: 1756-3305 (Print), 1756-3305 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-022-05601-3).
Carnaghi, Manuela , Belmain, Steven R., Hopkins, Richard J., Hawkes, Frances M. (2021), . Nature. In: , , , . Nature, Scientific Reports, 11: 7379 2045-2322 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-86772-4).
Teltscher, Fiona , Bouvaine, Sophie, Gibson, Gabriella, Dyer, Paul , Guest, Jennifer , Young, Stephen , Hopkins, Richard J. (2021), . BioMed Central. In: , , , . BioMed Central, Parasites & Vectors, 14: 75 1756-3305 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-021-04577-w).
Debebe, Yared , Hill, Sharon Rose, Tekie, Habte, Dugassa, Sisay , Hopkins, Richard J. , Ignell, Rickard (2020), . Nature Research. In: , , , . Nature Research, Scientific Reports, 10: 21449 2045-2322 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-78021-x).
Yi, Si-Jia , Hopkins, Richard, Chen, Xu-Yang, Chen, Zhuang鈥怣ei , Wang, Xing , Huang, Guo-Hua (2020), . Wiley. In: , , , . Wiley, Physiological Entomology, 45 (2-3) . pp. 95-102 ISSN: 0307-6962 (Print), 1365-3032 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/phen.12321).
Sikorska, Daria , Sikorski, Piotr, Archici艅ski, Piotr, Chorma艅ski, Jaros艂aw , Hopkins, Richard (2019), . MDPI. In: , , , . MDPI, Sustainability, 11: 5838 (20) 2071-1050 (Online) (doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11205838).
Land, Magnus , Bundschuh, Mirco, Hopkins, Richard J., Poulin, Brigitte , McKie, Brendan G. (2019), . BMC. In: , , , . BMC, Environmental Evidence, 8: 32 2047-2382 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-019-0175-1).
Sikorska, D. , Garnis, J., D膮browski, Z. T., Sikorski, P. , Gozdowski, D. , Hopkins, R. J. (2019), . Springer International Publishing. In: , , , . Springer International Publishing, Experimental and Applied Acarology, 77 (3) . pp. 359-373 ISSN: 0168-8162 (Print), 1572-9702 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-019-00357-5).
Debebe, Yared , Hill, Sharon, Tekie, Habte, Ignell, Rickard , Hopkins, Richard J. (2018), . BioMed Central. In: , , , . BioMed Central, Malaria Journal: 351 (17) 1475-2875 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-018-2499-7).
Ou-Yang, Yi Yi , Zhao, Yi Pei, Hopkins, Richard J., Chen, Xu Yang , Huang, Guo-Hua , Wang, Xing (2018), . Entomological Society of America. In: , , , . Entomological Society of America, Journal of Economic Entomology, 111 (3) . pp. 1131-1136 ISSN: 0022-0493 (Print), 1938-291X (Online) (doi: ).
Asmare, Yelfwagash , Hopkins, Richard J., Tekie, Habte, Hill, Sharon R. , Ignell, Rickard (2017), . Oxford Academic. In: , , , . Oxford Academic, Journal of Insect Science, 17: 93 (5) 1536-2442 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/iex067).
Tassew, Admasu , Hopkins, Richard, Deressa, Wakgari (2017), . BioMed Central. In: , , , . BioMed Central, Malaria Journal, 16: 262 1475-2875 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-017-1907-8).
Sikorska, Daria , Papierowska, Ewa, Szaty艂owicz, Jan, Sikorska, Piotr , Suprun, Katarzyna , Hopkins, Richard J. (2017), . Springer Netherlands. In: , , , . Springer Netherlands, Wetlands, 37 (5) . pp. 997-1002 ISSN: 0277-5212 (Print), 1943-6246 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-017-0924-2).
Chen, Xu-Yang , Hopkins, R. J., Zhao, Yi-Pei, Huang, Guo-Hua (2017), . Oxford University Press (OUP). In: , , , . Oxford University Press (OUP), Environmental Entomology, 46 (3) . pp. 642-648 ISSN: 0046-225X (Print), (doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvx076).
Sikorska, Daria , Sikorski, Piotr, Hopkins, Richard (2017), . MDPI. In: , , , . MDPI, Sustainability, 9 (3) . pp. 334 ISSN: 2071-1050 (Print), 2071-1050 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/su9030334).
Asmare, Yelfwagash , Hill, Sharon R., Hopkins, Richard J., Tekie, Habte , Ignell, Rickard (2017), . BioMed Central. In: , , , . BioMed Central, Malaria Journal, 16 (65) . pp. 1-9 1475-2875 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-017-1717-z).
Book section
Hopkins, Richard and , (2022), . Wageningen Academic Publishers. In: , , In: R Ignell, CR Lazzari, MG Lorenzo, SR Hill (eds.), Sensory ecology of disease vectors. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen , 1 (1st) . pp. 17-27 . ISBN: 9789086863808; 9789086869329 (doi: https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-932-9_1).
Conference item
Ademola, Oluwaseyi , Ferrara, Bill T., Hopkins, Richard, Thompson, Elinor (2024), . In: Horticultural Science: From Discovery to Application, 26th - 27th Mar, 2024, Reading , . , (doi: https://www.aab.org.uk/event/horticultural-science-from-discovery-to-application/) NB Item availability restricted.
Ademola, Oluwaseyi , Duvenage, Francois, Selim, Arwa, Ferrara, Bill T. , Hopkins, Richard , Thompson, Elinor (2023), . In: SEB annual conference, 4th - 7th July 2023, Edinburgh , . , (doi: https://www.sebiology.org/events/seb-centenary-conference-2023.html).