Kwapich Lab


Christina L. Kwapich, PhD
Principal investigator, Assistant Professor
Behavior and ecology of ant societies: Colony organization, production ecology, myrmecophilous crickets and spiders, ant nest architecture.
Instructor: Behavioral Ecology (BIOL. 4/5360), Entomology (BIOL 4/5550), Entomology Lab (BIOL 4/5550L), Senior Seminar (BIOL.4510)

Roman Meneghini
PhD Student, TA
Former undergraduate Honors Thesis Researcher, and Undergad Research Assistant
Seed storage and processing in the ant Pheidole pilifera. Function of major workers in dimorphic ants. Seasonal cycles of ants.
RomanWilliam_Meneghini@student.uml.edu
TA: Microbiology (BIOL.3010)
Principles of Ecology (BIOL.3150)
Tutor for (BIOL.2400)
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Sydney Hy
MS Project Student
Social parasites, myrmecophiles, and seed use by Tetramorium immigrans in its introduced range. Urban ecology of invasive species.

Gabe Muniz
Undergraduate Researcher
Hidden biodiversity in ant nests. Myrmecophilous Phruronellus spiders with Crematogaster cerasi.
Gabriel_Muniz@student.uml.edu

Hoon Kang
PhD Candidate, TA/RA
Adaptive nest architecture in subterranean ant species. Seasonal demography and ant colony organization.
Byounghoon_Kang@student.uml.edu
TA: Principles of Ecology (BIOL.3150), Principles of Biology II (BIOL.1180L),
Microbiology (BIOL.3010)



Ant Lab Alumni
Jennifer Ingraham
MS Project Student
Food sharing and signal mimicry between the ant cricket, Myrmecophilus pergandei and its ant hosts.
Kelsie Belange
Undergraduate Senior Research Student
Island syndrome in myrmecophiles with poor dispersal abilities. Designing data harvesting tools in Python.
*Now at Tufts University, Graduate Program in Conservation Medicine
Yocha DeChavez
Undergraduate Research Assistant (pictured, left)
Connor McLeod
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Melissa Griffin
Undergraduate Research Assistant
*High School Biology Teacher
Chris Schwartze
Undergraduate Research Assistant
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Connor and Melissa with Veromessor pergandei, in Phoenix, Arizona.