Kwapich Lab at the University of Central Florida
Christina L. Kwapich, PhD
Assistant Professor, University of Central Florida
2014 -19 Postdoc
Arizona State University
Advisor: Bert Hölldobler
2008 -14 PhD, Evolution and Ecology
Florida State University
Advisor: Walter R. Tschinkel
2003 - 07 B.S., Entomology
Ohio State University
Behavior and ecology of ant societies: Colony organization, production ecology, myrmecophilous crickets, beetles and spiders, ant nest architecture.
Courses:
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Social Insect Behavior (ENY 4455C/5456C)
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Ornithology (ZOO 4272)
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Graduate Behavioral Ecology (ZOO 6938)
Tyler C. Murdock, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher,
UCF Preeminent Postdoctoral Program Fellow
Seasonal and dietary influences on colony odor profile and nestmate recognition in ants. Animal behavior and chemical communication.
Ethan Wright
PhD Student, UCF Trustees Fellow
Ecological drivers of myrmecophile abundance in ant nests. Behavior and morphology of ant associated beetles (Ptinidae, Histeridae, Ptiliidae), and crickets.
Ava Dennison
MS Thesis Student, Graduate Dean's Fellow
Costs and benefits of nest closing behavior in the genus Pogonomyrmex, chronobiology, coordination of rare tasks by ant colonies.
James Sloan
PhD Student
Dispersal and life history traits of ant-associated silverfish (Zygentoma)
Current Post Post Bac. Researchers
Laura Ramsey
Current Undergraduate Researchers
Paige Williams (honors)
Past Undergraduate Researchers
Ava Dennison (honors)
James Sloan
Jackson Talmadge
David Wong
Carson Bassett
Emilia Carpio
Cori Keim
Jaedyn Lister
Jessica McCord
Nevin Persaud
Lauren Ross
Isabel Zayas
Gabe Muniz
Kelsie Belanger
Roman Meneghini (honors)
Yocha DeChavez
Conner McLeod
Melissa Griffin
Chris Schwartze
Ant Lab PhD and MS graduates
Alessandra Pandolfi
PhD, UCF
Multi-scale drivers of beetle biodiversity in a rapidly urbanizing region
*Co-advised by Dave Jenkins and Patrick Bohlen
Hoon Kang
MS Project Student, UML
Adaptive nest architecture in Pheidole pilifera. Seasonal demography and ant colony organization.
Roman Meneghini
Undergrad Honors Researcher and MS project student, UML
Seed storage and processing in the ant Pheidole pilifera. Function of major workers in dimorphic ants.
Sydney Hy
MS project Student, UML
Social parasites, myrmecophiles, and seed use by Tetramorium immigrans in its introduced range. Urban ecology of invasive species.
Jennifer Ingraham
MS Project Student, UML
Food sharing and signal mimicry between the ant cricket, Myrmecophilus pergandei and its ant hosts.
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Connor and Melissa with Veromessor pergandei, in Phoenix, Arizona.
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