Click HERE to learn more about my
NEW ERC funded research project!
NEW ERC funded research project!
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Now hiring a postdoctoral fellow in eco-physiology and molecular ecology!
For more information click HERE |
Research interests
Updates
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May 2017 Rachelle Adams and I co-organize our 4th Tropical Behavioral Ecology & Evolution field course at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Center
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June 2017: Christoffer and Pol collaborate on more Monomorium research
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August 2017 I have received an ERC Starting Grant!!!!
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Students
Mads Wolter is a masters student using stable isotopes to study the production ecology of fungus-farming ants. Mads is co-supervised by Anders Michelsen from the Section of Terrestrial Ecology at the University of Copenhagen.
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Maria Scotwin is a bachelors student studying the nutritional benefits of crop domestication by leafcutter ants.
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THE MONOMORIUM TEAM
In collaboration with Jes Pedersen (U. Copenhagen), we are studying the nutritional ecology of the ant Monomorium pharaonis to understand its success as an invasive species.
In collaboration with Jes Pedersen (U. Copenhagen), we are studying the nutritional ecology of the ant Monomorium pharaonis to understand its success as an invasive species.
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Christoffer Bergstedt is a bachelors student at the University of Copenhagen
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Birla Krabbe is a bachelors student at the University of Copenhagen
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Lab Alumni
Winnie Rytter (2015-2017) completed a Masters Degree in my lab studying the physiological basis for foraging behaviors in leafcutting ants. Her first chapter was recently published in Animal Behavior. For her second chapter, Winnie used stable isotopes to track the flow of nutrients through the complex farming systems of leafcutter ants.
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Publications
Publications
21. Shik, J.Z., Consilio, A., Kaae, T., Adams, R.M.M. (In Press, Ecological Entomology) Farming ants nutritionally manage fungal mutualists and social parasites.
20. Shik, J.Z., Gomez, E.B., Kooij P.W., Santos, J.C., Wcislo, W.T., Boomsma, J.J. (2016) Nutrition mediates the expression of cultivar-farmer conflict in a fungus-growing ant. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 113:10121-10126. pdf (for summary of press coverage)
19. Rytter, W., Shik, J.Z. (2016) Liquid foraging behavior in leafcutting ants: The lunchbox Hypothesis. Animal Behaviour, 117:179-186. pdf
(press coverage)
18. Guenard, B.*, Shik, J.Z.*, Booher, D., Lubertazzi D., Alpert G. (2016) Extreme polygyny in the previously unstudied subtropical ant Temnothorax tuscaloosae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with implications for the biogeographic study of the evoluiton of polygyny. Insectes Sociaux, 63:543-551. pdf
* authors contributed equally to the study
17. Shik, J.Z., Schal, C., Silverman, J. (2015) Diet specialization in an extreme omnivore: nutritional regulation in glucose averse cockroaches. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 27:2096-2015. pdf
16. Shik, J.Z., Kay, A., Silverman, J. (2015) Aphid honeydew provides a nutritionally balanced resource for incipient Argentine ant mutualists. Animal Behaviour, 95:33-39. pdf
15. Shik, J.Z., Santos, J.C., Seal, J.N., Kay A., Mueller, U.G., Kaspari, M. (2014) Metabolism and the rise of fungus cultivation by ants. American Naturalist, 184:364-373. pdf
14. Shik J.Z., Donoso, D.D., Kaspari M (2013) The life history continuum hypothesis links traits of male ants with life outside the nest. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, 149:99-109.* pdf
* invited review paper
13. Bednar, D, Shik, J.Z., Silverman J (2013) Prey handling performance facilitates behavioral dominance of an invasive over a native keystone ant. Behavioral Ecology, 24:1312-1319. pdf
12. Shik, J.Z., Silverman, J. (2013) Towards a nutritional ecology of invasive establishment: aphid mutualists provide better fuel for incipient Argentine ant colonies than insect prey. Biological Invasions, 15:829-836. pdf
11. Shik, J.Z., Hou, C., Kay, A., Kaspari, M., Gillooly, J.F. (2012) Toward a general life history model of the superorganism: predicting the survival, growth, and reproduction of ant societies. Biology Letters, 8: 1059-1062. pdf (press coverage)
10. Spicer Rice, E., Shik, J.Z., Silverman, J. (2012) Effect of scattered and discrete hydramethylnon bait placement on the Asian needle ant, Pachycondyla chinensis Emery. Journal of Economic Entomology, 105:1751-1757. pdf
9. Shik, J.Z., Flatt, D, Kay, A.D., Kaspari, M. (2012) A life history continuum in the males of a Neotropical ant assemblage: refuting the sperm vessel hypothesis. Naturwissenschaften, 99: 191-197. pdf
8. Kay, A.D., Shik, J.Z., Van Alst, A., Kaspari, M. (2011) Diet composition does not affect ant colony tempo. Functional Ecology, 26: 317-323. pdf
7. Shik, J.Z., Kaspari, M., Yanoviak, S. (2011) Preliminary assessment of metabolic costs of the nematode Myrmeconema neotropicum on its host, the tropical ant Cephalotes atratus. Journal of Parasitology, 97: 958-959. pdf
6. Shik, J.Z. (2010) The metabolic costs of building ant colonies from variably sized subunits. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 64: 1981-1990. pdf
5. Kaspari, M., Stevenson, B., Shik, J.Z., Kerekes, J. (2010) Scaling biodiversity: how bacteria, fungi, and ant communities respond to the same tropical landscape. Ecology, 91: 2221-2226. pdf
4. Shik, J.Z., Kaspari, M. (2010) More food, less habitat: how necromass and leaf litter decomposition combine to regulate a litter ant community. Ecological Entomology, 35:158-165. pdf
3. Shik, J.Z., Kaspari, M. (2009) Male lifespan in ants linked to mating systems. Insectes Sociaux, 52:131-134. pdf
2. Shik, J.Z. (2008) Ant colony size and the scaling of reproductive effort. Functional Ecology, 22: 674-681. pdf
1. Shik, J.Z., Francoeur, A. & Buddle, C.M. (2005) The effect of human activity on ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) richness at the Mont St. Hilaire Biosphere Reserve, Quebec. The Canadian Field Naturalist, 118: 38-42. pdf
21. Shik, J.Z., Consilio, A., Kaae, T., Adams, R.M.M. (In Press, Ecological Entomology) Farming ants nutritionally manage fungal mutualists and social parasites.
20. Shik, J.Z., Gomez, E.B., Kooij P.W., Santos, J.C., Wcislo, W.T., Boomsma, J.J. (2016) Nutrition mediates the expression of cultivar-farmer conflict in a fungus-growing ant. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 113:10121-10126. pdf (for summary of press coverage)
19. Rytter, W., Shik, J.Z. (2016) Liquid foraging behavior in leafcutting ants: The lunchbox Hypothesis. Animal Behaviour, 117:179-186. pdf
(press coverage)
18. Guenard, B.*, Shik, J.Z.*, Booher, D., Lubertazzi D., Alpert G. (2016) Extreme polygyny in the previously unstudied subtropical ant Temnothorax tuscaloosae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with implications for the biogeographic study of the evoluiton of polygyny. Insectes Sociaux, 63:543-551. pdf
* authors contributed equally to the study
17. Shik, J.Z., Schal, C., Silverman, J. (2015) Diet specialization in an extreme omnivore: nutritional regulation in glucose averse cockroaches. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 27:2096-2015. pdf
16. Shik, J.Z., Kay, A., Silverman, J. (2015) Aphid honeydew provides a nutritionally balanced resource for incipient Argentine ant mutualists. Animal Behaviour, 95:33-39. pdf
15. Shik, J.Z., Santos, J.C., Seal, J.N., Kay A., Mueller, U.G., Kaspari, M. (2014) Metabolism and the rise of fungus cultivation by ants. American Naturalist, 184:364-373. pdf
14. Shik J.Z., Donoso, D.D., Kaspari M (2013) The life history continuum hypothesis links traits of male ants with life outside the nest. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, 149:99-109.* pdf
* invited review paper
13. Bednar, D, Shik, J.Z., Silverman J (2013) Prey handling performance facilitates behavioral dominance of an invasive over a native keystone ant. Behavioral Ecology, 24:1312-1319. pdf
12. Shik, J.Z., Silverman, J. (2013) Towards a nutritional ecology of invasive establishment: aphid mutualists provide better fuel for incipient Argentine ant colonies than insect prey. Biological Invasions, 15:829-836. pdf
11. Shik, J.Z., Hou, C., Kay, A., Kaspari, M., Gillooly, J.F. (2012) Toward a general life history model of the superorganism: predicting the survival, growth, and reproduction of ant societies. Biology Letters, 8: 1059-1062. pdf (press coverage)
10. Spicer Rice, E., Shik, J.Z., Silverman, J. (2012) Effect of scattered and discrete hydramethylnon bait placement on the Asian needle ant, Pachycondyla chinensis Emery. Journal of Economic Entomology, 105:1751-1757. pdf
9. Shik, J.Z., Flatt, D, Kay, A.D., Kaspari, M. (2012) A life history continuum in the males of a Neotropical ant assemblage: refuting the sperm vessel hypothesis. Naturwissenschaften, 99: 191-197. pdf
8. Kay, A.D., Shik, J.Z., Van Alst, A., Kaspari, M. (2011) Diet composition does not affect ant colony tempo. Functional Ecology, 26: 317-323. pdf
7. Shik, J.Z., Kaspari, M., Yanoviak, S. (2011) Preliminary assessment of metabolic costs of the nematode Myrmeconema neotropicum on its host, the tropical ant Cephalotes atratus. Journal of Parasitology, 97: 958-959. pdf
6. Shik, J.Z. (2010) The metabolic costs of building ant colonies from variably sized subunits. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 64: 1981-1990. pdf
5. Kaspari, M., Stevenson, B., Shik, J.Z., Kerekes, J. (2010) Scaling biodiversity: how bacteria, fungi, and ant communities respond to the same tropical landscape. Ecology, 91: 2221-2226. pdf
4. Shik, J.Z., Kaspari, M. (2010) More food, less habitat: how necromass and leaf litter decomposition combine to regulate a litter ant community. Ecological Entomology, 35:158-165. pdf
3. Shik, J.Z., Kaspari, M. (2009) Male lifespan in ants linked to mating systems. Insectes Sociaux, 52:131-134. pdf
2. Shik, J.Z. (2008) Ant colony size and the scaling of reproductive effort. Functional Ecology, 22: 674-681. pdf
1. Shik, J.Z., Francoeur, A. & Buddle, C.M. (2005) The effect of human activity on ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) richness at the Mont St. Hilaire Biosphere Reserve, Quebec. The Canadian Field Naturalist, 118: 38-42. pdf
Manuscripts In Review
Shik, J.Z., Rytter, W., Michelsen, A. (In Review) Stable isotopes disentangle nutritional pathways linking leafcutter ants and their co-evolved fungal symbionts.
Rodrigues da Costa, R., Vreeburg, S.M.E., Shik J.Z., Aanen, D.K., and Poulsen M. (In Review) Can interaction specificity in the fungus-farming termite symbiosis be explained by nutritional requirements of the crop fungi?
Shik, J.Z., Rytter, W., Michelsen, A. (In Review) Stable isotopes disentangle nutritional pathways linking leafcutter ants and their co-evolved fungal symbionts.
Rodrigues da Costa, R., Vreeburg, S.M.E., Shik J.Z., Aanen, D.K., and Poulsen M. (In Review) Can interaction specificity in the fungus-farming termite symbiosis be explained by nutritional requirements of the crop fungi?
Other publications in refereed journals
Shik, J.Z., Nichols, L.M, Lucky, A, Hoefnagels, M.H. (2013) Ants as model organisms to study species coexistence. Proceedings of the 34th Workshop Conference of the Association for Biology Laboratory Education, 34:233-239. pdf (check out pictures from this workshop!)
Funding
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Contact information
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Jonathan Shik
jonathan.shik /at/ gmail.com |
Links & collaborators