Milan Janda

Research Interests

Ecology of tropical ants, diversity patterns of ant assemblages

Ants of New Guinea – ecology and systematics of Melanesian ants
For details see project website: www.newguineants.org or visit Antweb: http://www.antweb.org/newguinea.jsp

Biogeography and phylogeography of South Pacific and Melanesian ants

Ant assemblages in rainforest canopies

Interactions among ants and other insects, especially the role of ants as predators

Photography

Link to my photography page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/emjanda/

Fellowships and Grants

2010	Putnam Expedition Grant (Harvard University, MCZ labs)
2010-2013	Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship (Harvard University, MCZ labs)
2009-2010	Fulbright Fellowship (Harvard University, MCZ labs)
2007-2009	Ecology and systematics of New Guinea ants – exploring the unknown fauna Grant Agency of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic

Current Projects and Collaborations

Ecology and evolution of ant communities in tropical ecosystems. Marie Curie IOF, 2010-2013

Ecology of New Guinea ant communities. J. W. Fulbright Commission, 2009-2010

Inter-specific interactions in complex food webs of tropical rain forests: a whole-forest experimental approach. Czech Science Foundation. (PI: V. Novotny 2010-2013)

Ecological determinants of biodiversity distribution in tropical forests: a synthesis for Lepidoptera communities in New Guinea. Czech Science Foundation. (PI: V. Novotny 2009-2013)

Interactions between plants, herbivores, parasitoids and predators in a tropical rainforest: disentangling a complex food web. Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. (PI: V. Novotny, 2007-2011)

Center for Biodiversity Research. Czech Ministry of Education. (PI: V. Novotny, 2006-2010)

The role of sunbirds in the Afromontane pollination systems. Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. (PI: J. Riegert, 2007-2010)

Team of authors: Global Ant Database (2006)

Present Affiliations

Naomi Pierce’s group at the Museum of Comparative Zoology Labs at Harvard University

Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Social Insects - Biology Center, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic

The New Guinea Binatang Research Center Ltd. - Madang, Papua New Guinea

Faculty of Science - University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic

Education

2007	Ph.D. Zoology, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic Advisor: V. Novotny
2003	M.Sc. Biology and Evolutionary biology, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic Advisor: J. Zrzavy

Publications

Janda, M. and Konecna, M. (2011). Canopy assemblages of ants in a New Guinea rain forest. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 27: 83-91.

Klimes, P., Janda, M., Ibalim, S., Kua, J. and Novotný, V. (2011). Experimental suppression of ants foraging on rainforest vegetation in New Guinea: testing methods for a whole-forest manipulation of insect communities. Ecological Entomology 36: 94-103.

Weiser, M.D., Sanders, N.J., Agosti, D. et al. (2010). Canopy and litter ant assemblages share similar climate-species density relationships. Biology Letters, 6(6): 769-772.

Machac, A., Janda, M., Dunn, R. R. and N. J. Sanders (2010). Elevational gradients in phylogenetic structure of ant assemblages reveal the interplay of biotic and abiotic constraints on diversity. Ecography, in press.

Shattuck, S. and Janda, M. (2009). A new species of the Camponotus aureopilus species-group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Papua New Guinea. Myrmecological News, XX, 2009.

Hlavac, P. and Janda, M. (2009). New genus of Lomechusini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae) from Papua New Guinea associated with Leptogenys Roger. Zootaxa 2062: 57-64.

Dunn, R.R., N.J. Sanders, S.B. Menke, M.D. Weiser, M.C. Fitzpatrick, E. Laurent, J.-P. Lessard, D. Agosti, A. Andersen, C. Bruhl, X. Cerda, A. Ellison, B. Fisher, H. Gibb, N. Gotelli, A. Gove, B.vGuénard, M. Janda, M. Kaspari, J.T. Longino, J. Majer, T.P. McGlynn, S.B. Menke, C. Parr, S. Philpott, M. Pfeiffer, J. Retana, A. Suarez and H. Vasconcelos (2009). Climatic Drivers of Hemispheric Asymmetry in Global Patterns of Ant Species Richness. Ecology Letters 12: 323-333.

Janda, M. (2007). Ecology and natural history of Melanesian ants. Ph.D. Thesis, University of South Bohemia. Faculty of Science. České Budějovice, Czech Republic, 124 pp.

Janda, M., Klimes, P. and Borowiec, M.L. (2007) Ecology of New Guinea ants (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) exploring an unknown fauna. – Myrmecological News 10: 109.

Dunn, R.R., Sanders, N.J., Fitzpatrick, M.C., Laurent, E., Lessard, J.P. (Janda, M. and 16 further coauthors) et al. (2007). Global ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) biodiversity and biogeography – a new database and its possibilities. Myrmecological News 10: 77-83.

Novotny, V., S. E. Miller, J. Hulcr, R. A. I. Drew, Y. Basset, M. Janda, G. P. Setliff, K.Darrow, A. J. Stewart, J. Auga, B. Isua, K. Molem, M. Manumbor, E. Tamtiai, M. Mogia, and G. D. Weiblen (2007). Low beta diversity of herbivorous insects in tropical forests. Nature 448: 692-695.

Novotny, V., Drozd, P., Miller, S. E., Kulfan, M., Janda, M., Basset, Y., Weiblen, G. D. (2006). Why are there so many species of herbivorous insects in tropical rainforests? Science 313: 1115-1118.

Novotny, V., Miller, S. E., Leps, J., Bito, D., Janda, M., Hulcr, J., Basset, Y., Damas and K. Weiblen, G. D. (2004). No tree an island: the plant-caterpillar food web of secondary rainforest in New Guinea. Ecology Letters 7: 1090-1100.

Janda, M., Folkova, D., Zrzavy, J. (2004). Phylogeny of Lasius ants based on mitochondrial DNA and morphology, and the evolution of social parasitism in the Lasiini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 33(3): 595-614.

Novotny, V., Miller, S.E., Cizek, L., Leps, J., Janda, M., Basset, Y., Weiblen, G.D. and Darrow, K. (2003). Colonising aliens: caterpillars (Lepidoptera) feeding on Piper aduncum and P. umbellatum in rainforests of Papua New Guinea. Ecological Entomology 28: 704-716.

Publications in prep

Janda, M. and Borowiec, M.: Biogeography of Melanesian ants.

Janda, M. and Borowiec, M.: Assemblages of leaf litter ants in New Guinea.