Jakub Straka

Phone: ++420/221951838; Fax: ++420/221951841
E-mail: straka.jakub.1@gmail.com, jakub.straka@aculeataresearch.com

Research interests:

Behaviour, ecology, evolution and phylogeny of bees (cleptoparasitic bees, solitary bees), taxonomy and ecology of crabronid wasps (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) and behaviour, ecology, evolution and phylogeny of Strepsiptera (Stylopidae, Xenidae).

Current projects:

Phylogeny, systematics and evolution of cleptoparasitic bees revealed by DNA sequences and larval and adult morphology (Apidae, Megachilidae and Halictidae).

Host manipulation and host specialization in Strepsiptera.

Nesting behaviour of solitary bees.

Cape Verde archipelago insect biodiversity and ecology.

Lectures and courses:

System and Phylogeny of Invertebrates (practices, field trip)

Basic course of Entomology (practices)

Terrestrial Ecosystems (field trips)

Biology of social insects (lecrtures)

System and phylogeny of insects II (Lepidoptera, Mecopteroidea, Strepsiptera)

Selected papers:

Řehoř I., Macháčková L., Bučánková A., Matějková S., Černá K. & Straka J. Measuring the sugar consumption of larvae in bumblebee micro-colonies: A promising new method for tracking food economics in bees.Apidologie. (DOI: 10.1007/s13592-013-0233-6).

Černá K., Zemenová M., Macháčková L., Kolínová Z. & Straka J. Neighbourhood society: nesting dynamics, usurpations and social behaviour in solitary bees. PLoS ONE 8(9): e73806. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0073806

Tropek, R., Cerna, I., Straka, J., Cizek, O. & Konvicka, M. 2013: Is coal combustion the last chance for vanishing insects of inland drift sand dunes in Europe? Biological Conservation 162: 60–64. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2013.03.027

Habermannová J., Bogusch P. & Straka J. 2013: Flexible host choice and common host switches in the evolution of generalist and specialist cuckoo bees (Anthophila: Sphecodes). PLoS ONE 8(5): e64537. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064537

Lagoutte R., Šebesta P., Jiroš P., Kalinová B., Jirošová A., Straka J., Černá K., Šobotník J., Cvačka J. & Jahn U. 2013: Total Synthesis, Proof of Absolute Configuration, and Biosynthetic Origin of Stylopsal, the First Isolated Sex Pheromone of Strepsiptera. Chemistry - A European Journal, 2013(19): 8515–8524.

Černá K., Straka J. & Munclinger P. 2013: Population structure of pioneer specialist solitary bee Andrena vaga (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae) in central Europe: the effect of habitat fragmentation or evolutionary history?Conservation Genetics 14(4): 875–883. DOI: 10.1007/s10592-013-0482-y

Čujová S., Slaninová J., Monincová L., Fučík V., Bednárová L., Štokrová J., Hovorka O., Voburka Z., Straka J. & Čeřovský, V. 2013: Panurgines, novel antimicrobial peptides from the venom of communal bee Panurgus calcaratus (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae). Amino Acids, 45: 143-157. Available from: http://rd.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00726-013-1482-4 (March 18, 2013).

Cvačka J., Jiroš P., Kalinová B., Straka J., Černá K., Šebesta P., Tomčala A., Vašíčková S., Jahn U. & Šobotník J. 2012: Stylopsal: The first identified female-produced sex pheromone of Strepsiptera. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 38(12): 1483-1491.

Straka J. & Engel M. S. 2012: The apid cuckoo bees of the Cape Verde Islands (Hymenoptera, Apidae). ZooKeys218: 77–109.

Straka J. & Rozen J. G. Jr. 2012: First observations on nesting and immatures of the bee genus Ancyla (Apoidea: Apidae: Apinae: Ancylaini). American Museum Novitates 3749: 1-24.

Bogusch P. & Straka J. 2012: Review and identification of the cuckoo bees of central Europe (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Sphecodes). Zootaxa 3311: 1-41.

Černá K. & Straka J. 2012: Identification of 37 microsatellite loci for Anthophora plumipes (Hymenoptera: Apidae) using next generation sequencing and their utility in related species. European Journal of Entomology109: 155-160.

Rezkova, K., Žáková M., Žáková Z. & Straka J. 2012: Analysis of nesting behavior based on daily observation of Andrena vaga (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae). Journal of Insect Behavior 25: 24-47.

Straka J. & Bogusch P. 2011 Contribution to the taxonomy of the Hylaeus gibbus species group in Europe (Hymenoptera, Apoidea and Colletidae). Zootaxa 2932: 51-67.

Straka J., Rezkova K., Batelka J. & Kratochvíl L. 2011: Early nest emergence of females parasitised by Strepsiptera in protandrous bees (Hymenoptera Andrenidae). Ethology Ecology & Evolution 23: 97-109.

Batelka J. & Straka J. 2011: Ripiphorus caboverdianus sp. nov.—the first ripiphorid record from the Macaronesian volcanic islands (Coleoptera: Ripiphoridae: Ripiphorinae). Zootaxa 2792: 51-62.

Monincová L., Buděšínský M., Slaninová J., Hovorka O., Cvačka J., Voburka Z., Fučík V., Borovičková L., Bednárová L., Straka J. & Čeřovský V. 2010: Novel antimicrobial peptides from the venom of the eusocial bee Halictus sexcinctus (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) and their analogs. Amino Acids 39: 763-775.

Cardinal S., Straka J. & Danforth B. N. 2010: Comprehensive phylogeny of apid bees reveals the evolutionary origins and antiquity of cleptoparasitism. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 107: 16207-16211.

Macek J., Straka J., Bogusch P., Dvořák L., Bezděčka P. & Tyrner P. 2010: Blanokřídlí České republiky I. – žahadloví. Academia, Praha, 520 pp.

Rozen J. G. Jr., Straka J. & Rezkova K. 2009: Oocytes, Larvae, and Cleptoparasitic Behavior of Biastes emarginatus (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Nomadinae: Biastini). American Museum Novitates 3667: 1-15.

Čeřovský V., Buděšínský M., Hovorka O., Cvačka J., Voburka Z., Slaninová J., Borovičková L., Fučík V., Bednárová L., Votruba I. & Straka J. 2009:Lasioglossins: Three Novel Antimicrobial Peptides from the Venom of the Eusocial Bee Lasioglossum laticeps (Hymenoptera: Halictidae).ChemBioChem 10: 2089-2099.

Killer J., Kopečný J., Mrázek J., Rada V., Benada O., Koppová I., Havlík J. & Straka J. 2009: Bifidobacterium bombi sp. nov., from the bumblebee digestive tract. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 59: 2020-2024.

Bogusch P., Straka J., Kment P. (eds.) 2007: Annotated checklist of the Aculeata (Hymenoptera) of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Komentovaný seznam žahadlových blanokřídlých (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) České republiky a Slovenska. Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae,Supplementum 11: 1-300 (in English and Czech).

Straka J. & Bogusch P. 2007: Phylogeny of the bees of the family Apidae based on larval characters with focus on the origin of cleptoparasitism (Hymenoptera: Apiformes). Systematic Entomology 32: 700-711.

Straka J. & Bogusch P. 2007: Description of immature stages of cleptoparasitic bees Epeoloides coecutiens and Leiopodus trochantericus (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Osirini, Protepeolini) with remarks to their unusual biology. Entomologica Fennica 18: 242-254.

Bogusch P., Kratochvíl L. & Straka J. 2006: Generalist cleptoparasitic bee species (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Sphecodes) are species-specialist at the individual level. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 60: 422-429.

Batelka J. & Straka J. 2005: Several records of Xenidae and Stylopidae from the West Palaearctic region (Strepsiptera). Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France 110: 403-406.

Straka J. 2005: A review of the genus Tachysphex (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of Turkey, with descriptions of four new species. Acta Societatis Zoologicae Bohemicae 69: 247-276.

Straka J. 2004: Tachysphex austriacus Kohl, restored from synonymy, and T. pompiliformis Panzer (Hymenoptera: Apoidea, Crabronidae), two sibling species. Linzer Biologische Beiträge 36: 1107-1114.

Straka J., Bogusch P., Tyrner P. & Vepřek D. 2004: New important faunistic records of Hymenoptera (Chrysidoidea, Apoidea, Vespoidea) from the Czech Republic. Klapalekiana 40: 143-153.

Straka J. 2003: Včely a evoluce barev květů. [Bees and the evolution of blossom colours.] Vesmír 82: 507-509, 512 (in Czech).