World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Ecology and Evolution

D-Index
35
Citations
4244
World Ranking
7425
National Ranking
461

Overview

Leticia Avilés is a researcher affiliated with the University of British Columbia in Canada. Their work primarily focuses on the fields of Agricultural and Biological Sciences as well as Biochemistry, Genetics, and Molecular Biology. Within these fields, their research emphasizes Ecology, Evolution, Behavior, and Systematics, with notable attention to genetics and insect science.

The main topics covered by Avilés' research include Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior, Animal Behavior and Reproduction, Plant and Animal Studies, Genetic Diversity and Population Structure, Species Distribution and Climate Change, Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies, and Rangeland and Wildlife Management.

Avilés has published research in various scientific venues. Their frequent publication outlets include:

  • The American Naturalist (3 publications)
  • Journal of Biogeography (2 publications)
  • Ethology (2 publications)
  • Nature Communications (1 publication)
  • Biotropica (1 publication)

Recent papers authored or co-authored by Leticia Avilés showcase a range of ecological and behavioral studies, including:

  • Genomic signatures of recent convergent transitions to social life in spiders, 2022, Nature Communications
  • Spinning in the rain: Interactions between spider web morphology and microhabitat use, 2020, Biotropica
  • Resource exchange and partner recognition mediate mutualistic interactions between prey and their would-be predators, 2021, Biology Letters
  • Behavioral Attributes of Social Groups Determine the Strength and Direction of Selection on Neural Investment, 2021, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
  • Vegetation Structural Complexity Across Elevational Gradients: Insights From the Tropical Andes, 2025, Journal of Biogeography

Collaborations are an important aspect of Avilés' research, with frequent co-authors including Luis F. Camacho, Samantha Straus, Chao Tong, Linda S. Rayor, and Alexander S. Mikheyev. These collaborations reflect a network engaged in evolutionary biology, ecology, and behavioral studies.

Best Publications

  • The Evolution of Social Behavior in Insects and Arachnids: Causes and consequences of cooperation and permanent-sociality in spiders

    Unknown

  • Colony size and individual fitness in the social spider Anelosimus eximius.

    Leticia Avilés;Paul Tufiño

  • SOCIALITY IN THERIDIID SPIDERS: REPEATED ORIGINS OF AN EVOLUTIONARY DEAD END

    Ingi Agnarsson;Ingi Agnarsson;Leticia Avilés;Jonathan A. Coddington;Wayne P. Maddison

  • Sex-Ratio Bias and Possible Group Selection in the Social Spider Anelosimus eximius

    Leticia Aviles

  • Cooperative capture of large prey solves scaling challenge faced by spider societies

    Eric C. Yip;Kimberly S. Powers;Leticia Avilés

  • Cooperation and non-linear dynamics: An ecological perspective on the evolution of sociality

    Leticia Avilés

  • Interdemic Selection and the Sex Ratio: A Social Spider Perspective

    Leticia Aviles

  • Survival benefits select for group living in a social spider despite reproductive costs

    T. Bilde;T. Bilde;K.S. Coates;Klaus Birkhofer;T. Bird

  • Solving the freeloaders paradox: Genetic associations and frequency-dependent selection in the evolution of cooperation among nonrelatives.

    Leticia Avilés

  • The phylogeny of the social Anelosimus spiders (Araneae: Theridiidae) inferred from six molecular loci and morphology.

    Ingi Agnarsson;Ingi Agnarsson;Wayne P. Maddison;Leticia Avilés

  • The role of prey size and abundance in the geographical distribution of spider sociality.

    Kimberly S. Powers;Leticia Avilés;Leticia Avilés

  • WHEN IS THE SEX RATIO BIASED IN SOCIAL SPIDERS?: CHROMOSOME STUDIES OF EMBRYOS AND MALE MEIOSIS IN ANELOSIMUS SPECIES (ARANEAE, THERIDIIDAE)

    Leticia Avilés;Wayne Maddison

  • Altitudinal patterns of spider sociality and the biology of a new midelevation social Anelosimus species in Ecuador.

    Leticia Avilés;Ingi Agnarsson;Patricio A. Salazar;Jessica Purcell

  • Population differences in behaviour are explained by shared within-population trait correlations.

    Jonathan N Pruitt;Susan E Riechert;Gabriel Iturralde;Mauricio Vega

  • Natal dispersal and demography of a subsocial Anelosimus species and its implications for the evolution of sociality in spiders

    L. Avilés;G. Gelsey

  • MULTIPLE TECHNIQUES CONFIRM ELEVATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN INSECT SIZE THAT MAY INFLUENCE SPIDER SOCIALITY

    Jennifer Guevara;Leticia Avilés

  • Smaller colonies and more solitary living mark higher elevation populations of a social spider.

    Jessica Purcell;Leticia Avilés

  • Precise, highly female–biased sex ratios in a social spider

    Leticia Avilés;John E. McCormack;Asher Cutter;Todd Bukowski

  • Group living and inbreeding depression in a subsocial spider

    Leticia Avilés;Todd C Bukowski

  • The Kin Composition of Social Groups: Trading Group Size for Degree of Altruism

    Leticia Avilés;Jeffrey Alan Fletcher;Asher D. Cutter

  • Natal dispersal patterns of a subsocial spider Anelosimus cf. jucundus (Theridiidae)

    Kimberly S. Powers;Leticia Avilés

  • Gradients of precipitation and ant abundance may contribute to the altitudinal range limit of subsocial spiders: insights from a transplant experiment

    Jessica Purcell;Leticia Avilés

Frequent Co-Authors

Ingi Agnarsson
Ingi Agnarsson University of Iceland
Wayne P. Maddison
Wayne P. Maddison University of British Columbia
Jonathan N. Pruitt
Jonathan N. Pruitt McMaster University
Asher D. Cutter
Asher D. Cutter University of Toronto
Trine Bilde
Trine Bilde Aarhus University
Susan E. Riechert
Susan E. Riechert University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Timothy A. Linksvayer
Timothy A. Linksvayer Arizona State University
Yael Lubin
Yael Lubin Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Klaus Birkhofer
Klaus Birkhofer Brandenburg University of Technology
Carsten Schradin
Carsten Schradin Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

If you’re interested in Ecology and Evolution, there are several online degree options that can open up a variety of career pathways. Many students pursue interdisciplinary studies to blend their ecological interests with other fields. Choosing an online interdisciplinary studies degree can be a great way to access financial aid and design a flexible program that suits your career goals.

Analytical skills are highly valued in ecology and evolution-related jobs. A math degree online provides a solid foundation for roles in data analysis, modeling populations, and ecological forecasting. Similarly, if you’re interested in science communication or visual representation of research, consider online graphic design programs, which enable you to develop creative skills for educational outreach or publishing.

For those seeking to deepen their expertise, pursuing the cheapest online masters in history is another option, especially if you want to focus on environmental history or the evolution of ecosystems through time. Exploring these related degrees can help you build a diverse and rewarding career in ecology, evolution, and beyond.

Best Scientists Citing Leticia Avilés

Trending Scientists