Assistant Professor of Biology

Contact Information

Office: Science Building Albany

Phone: (518) 292-1944

Email: howark2@sage.edu

Research Interests

• Evolution of sociality in insects
• Bacterial manipulation of social insect behavior
• Competitive interactions in social insects

Publications:

Howard, K.J. and R.L. Jeanne. (accepted, 2012). Developmental plasticity in the queen-polymorphic ant Temnothorax longispinosus. Insectes Sociaux.

Johns, P.M., K.J. Howard, N.L. Breisch, A. Rivera, and B.L. Thorne. 2009. Nonrelatives inherit colony resources in a primitive termite. PNAS 106: 17452-17456

Bouwma, A.M., K.J. Howard, and R.L. Jeanne. 2007. Rates of non-legionary ant predation on colonies of a swarm-founding social wasp. Biotropica 39: 719-724

Howard, K.J. and D. Kennedy. 2007. Alternative mating behaviors of the queen polymorphic ant Temnothorax longispinosus. Naturwissenschaften. 94: 945-950

Howard, K.J.  2006. Three queen morphs with alternative nest-founding behaviors in the ant, Temnothorax longispinosus. Insectes Sociaux  53: 480-488

Howard, K.J. and R.L. Jeanne. 2005. Shifting foraging strategies in colonies of the social wasp Polybia occidentalis.  Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 57: 481-9

Presentations:

Entomological Society of America National Meeting (submitted paper). Infection by Wolbachia correlates with social structure in the ant Temnothorax longispinosus. K.J. Howard, P.J. Johns, R.L. Jeanne. Nov. 15, 2011.

Entomological Society of America National Meeting (submitted paper).  Genetic analysis of  parentage of replacement reproductives and alates in a primitive termite, Zootermopsis  nevadensis. K.J. Howard, P.J. Johns, N.L. Breisch, and B.L. Thorne. Dec. 12, 2007

Bard College Biology Program Seminar Series (invited talk). Alternative reproductive tactics and worker attack in acorn ants. K.J. Howard. Sept. 27, 2007.

Entomological Society of America National Meeting (submitted paper).  Nest density correlates with queen size and queen founding behavior in the queen-polymorphic ant Temnothorax longispinosus.  K.J. Howard and R.L. Jeanne. Dec. 13, 2006

International Union for the Study of Social Insects - International meeting - (invited paper). Queen presence determines female alate size in the queen-size polymorphic ant Temnothorax longispinosus.  K.J. Howard.  July 30, 2006

International Union for the Study of Social Insects - North American Branch Meeting (submitted paper). Relationship of fat content, propagule numbers, and queen size to nest density in Temnothorax longispinosus.  K.J. Howard. October 8, 2004