1. ✦ Coevolution in ant-plant mutualisms
   

2. ✦ Diversity and putative functions of ant associated microbes
   

3. ✦ Phylogeography of the giant Neotropical bullet ant Paraponera clavata
   

4. ✦ The evolution of polygyny in acacia-ants
   

5. ✦ Direct and indirect plant defenses

Stefanie Kautz

Field Museum of Natural History

Department of Zoology

Division of Insects

1400 South Lake Shore Drive

Chicago, IL 60605 USA

Office: (312) 665-7776

FAX: (312) 665-7754

Email: skautz@fieldmuseum.org

POSITIONS

(2009 - Forward) Postdoctoral fellow working with Dr. Corrie Moreau, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL in the Department of Zoology, Division of Insects.

EDUCATION

(2006 - 2009) Ph.D. University of Duisburg-Essen. Department of General Botany – Plant Ecology. Title of Dissertation: Acacia-inhabiting Pseudomyrmex ants – integrating physiological, behavioral, chemical and genetic data to understand the maintenance of ant-plant mutualisms. Advisors: Drs. Peter Bayer, H. Thorsten Lumbsch, Martin Heil.

Graded summa cum laude (with distinction).

(2000 - 2006) Diploma studies (equivalent to M.A.) at the University of Duisburg-Essen.

Graded with distinction.

PUBLICATIONS

Publications in peer-reviewed journals

19. Kautz S, Ballhorn DJ, Kroiß J, Pauls SU, Moreau CS, Eilmus S, Strohm E, Heil M (2012) The acacia-Pseuodmyrmex interaction - Mutualists monopolize hosts while parasites join to exploit. PLoS ONE (In press).

18. Anderson, KE, Russell, JA, Moreau, CS, Kautz, S, Sullam, K, Hu, Y, Basinger, U, Mott,  BM, Buck, N & Wheeler, DE (2012) Highly similar microbial communities are shared among related and trophically similar ant species. Molecular Ecology 21: 2282-2296.

Anderson_et_al._MolEcol_2012.pdf

17. Ballhorn DJ, Kautz S, Jensen, M, Heil M, Hegeman AD (2011) Genetic and environmental interactions determine plant defences against herbivores. Journal of Ecology 99: 313-326.

Ballhornetal2011_JEcol_Abiotics.pdf

16. Kautz S & Moreau CS (2011) Creating Encyclopedia of Life's species pages for ants (Hymenoptera:Formicidae): What we have done and what remains to be done.  Myrmecological News 14: 69-72.

Kautz&Moreau_MN_ 2011.pdf

15. Heil M, Orona-Tamayo D, Eilmus S, Kautz S, González-Teuber M (2010) Chemical communication and coevolution in an ant-plant mutualism. Chemoecology 20: 63-74.

Heiletal_Chemoecology2010.pdf

14. Ballhorn DJ, Kautz S, Lieberei R (2010) Comparing responses of generalist and specialist herbivores to different cyanogenic plant features. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 134: 245-259.

Ballhornetal2010_Experimentalis.pdf

13. Kautz S, Pauls SU, Ballhorn DJ, Lumbsch HT, Heil M (2009) Polygynous supercolonies of the acacia-ant Pseudomyrmex peperi, an inferior colony founder. Molecular Ecology 18: 5180-5194.

Kautzetal2009_MolEcol.pdf

12. Heil M, González-Teuber M, Clement LWC, Kautz S, Verhaagh M, Silva Bueno JC (2009) Divergent investment strategies of Acacia myrmecophytes and the coexistence of mutualists and parasites. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 106: 18091-18096.

Heiletal2009_PNAS.pdf

11. Ballhorn DJ, Kautz S, Heil M, Hegeman AD (2009) Analyzing plant defenses in nature. Plant Signaling, Behavior 4: 743-745.

Ballhorn_et_al_2009_PS&B.pdf

10. Ballhorn DJ, Kautz S, Heil M, Hegeman AD (2009) Cyanogenesis of wild lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) is an efficient direct defence in nature. PLoS ONE 4: e5450.

Ballhornetal2009_PLoSONE.pdf

9. Kautz S, Schmid VS, Trindl A, Heinze J, Ballhorn DJ, Heil M (2009) Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in the plant-ant Pseudomyrmex ferrugineus (Formicidae: Pseudomyrmecinae) and cross-testing for two congeneric species. Molecular Ecology Resources 9: 1016-1019.

Kautzetal2009_Primernotes.pdf

8. Kautz S, Lumbsch HT, Ward PS, Heil M (2009) How to prevent cheating: a digestive specialization ties mutualistic plant-ants to their ant-plant partners. Evolution. 63: 839-853.

Kautzetal2009_Evolution.pdf

7. Schmid VS, Kautz S, Trindl A, Heinze J (2009) PCR primers for polymorphic microsatellite loci in the ant Pseudomyrmex gracilis (Formicidae: Pseudomyrmecinae). Molecular Ecology Resources 9: 1150-1152.

Schmidetal2009_Primernotes.pdf

6. Ballhorn DJ, Kautz S, Rakotoarivelo FP (2009) Quantitative variability of cyanogenesis in Cathariostachys madagascariensis ― the main food plant of bamboo lemurs in southeastern Madagascar. American Journal of Primatolology 71: 305-315.

Ballhornetal2009_Cmad.pdf

5. Ballhorn DJ, Kautz S, Lion U, Heil M (2008) Trade-offs between direct and indirect defenses of lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus). Journal of Ecology 96: 971-980. + Cover.

Ballhornetal2008_JEcol.pdf

4. Ballhorn DJ, Kautz S, Lion U, Heil M (2008) Qualitative variability of lima bean’s VOC bouquets and its consequences on plant-plant communication. Plant Signaling, Behavior 3: 1005-1007.

Ballhornetal2008_PS&B.pdf

3. Schmitt I, Kautz S, Lumbsch HT (2008) 6-MSAS-like polyketide synthase genes occur in lichenized ascomycetes. Mycological Research 112: 289-296.

Schmittetal2008.pdf

2. del Prado R, Schmitt I, Kautz S, Palice Z, Lücking R, Lumbsch HT (2006) Morphological and molecular evidence places the Trypetheliaceae in the Dothideomycetes. Mycological Research 110: 511-520.

delPrado_etal_2006.pdf

1. Schmitt I, Martín MP, Kautz S, Lumbsch HT (2005) Diversity of non-reducing polyketide synthase genes in the Pertusariales (lichenized Ascomycota): a phylogenetic perspective. Phytochemistry 66: 1241-1253.

Schmittetal2005.pdf

Submitted publications

1. Ballhorn DJ, Kautz S, Heil M (submitted) Predicting food plant quality from the distance? Insect sex and direct plant defences are better predictors for feeding behaviour than plant volatiles. Submitted to Journal of Ecology.

Publications in preparation

2. Kautz S, Rubin BE, Moreau CS (in prep. c) Surveying bacterial diversity across species: Comparing 454 pyrosequencing with traditional methods. In preparation for Molecular Ecology.

1. Kautz S, Ballhorn DJ, Pauls SU, Heil M (in prep. b) Population structure of mutualistic and parasitic acacia-ants in South Mexico. In preparation for BMC Biology.

Scientific meetings

Kautz S, Rubin BE, Moreau CS (2011) Surveying the microbiome using 454 sequencing: Diversity and putative functions of bacteria in ants. EntSoc 59th annual meeting. Reno, NV, USA. Oral presentation.

Rubin BE, Kautz S, Moreau CS (2011) Genomic and dietary consequences of plant-ant mutualism. EntSoc 59th annual meeting. Reno, NV, USA. Oral presentation.

Kautz S, Rubin BE, Moreau CS (2010) Survey of bacterial diversity in the giant neotropical bullet ant Paraponera clavata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) using 454 pyrosequencing. EntSoc 58th annual meeting. San Diego, CA, USA. Oral presentation.

Rubin BE, Kautz S, Emery V, Moreau CS (2010) Evolution of mutualism in acacia-ants. EntSoc 58th annual meeting. San Diego, CA, USA. Oral presentation.

Zufan S, Wray BD, Rubin BE, Kautz S, Moreau CS (2010) Evolutionary histories of bacterial endosymbionts and their herbivorous ant hosts. EntSoc 58th annual meeting. San Diego, CA, USA. Poster presentation.

Schmid VS, Rössler T, Wanke D, Kautz S, Heinze J (2010) Sociogenetics and population genetics of Pseudomyrmex gracilis (Formicidae). 103rd annual meeting of the Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft (German Zoological Society). Hamburg, Germany. Poster presentation.

Kautz S, Rubin BE, Moreau CS (2010) Evaluating methods to assess microbe diversity in ants: trade-offs between traditional approaches and 454 pyrosequencing. IUSSI XVI Congress. Copenhagen, Denmark. Oral presentation.

Ballhorn DJ, Kautz S, Schmitt I (2010) Fungal endophytes and their secondary compounds in giant bamboo on Madagascar. Joint meeting of the Mycological Society of America (MSA) and of the International Symposium on Fungal Endophytes of Grasses (ISFEG). Lexington, KY, USA. Oral presentation.

Ballhorn DJ, Kautz S, Schmitt I (2010) Concerted effects of plant compounds and endophytic fungi on food quality of giant bamboo to bamboo lemurs. ESA (Ecological Society of America), Pittsburg, PA, USA. Oral presentation.

Kautz S (2007) Co-evolutionäre Stabilisierung eines Mutualismus. Westdeutscher Entomologentag, Düsseldorf, Germany. Oral presentation.

Schmitt I, Martín MP, Kautz S, Lumbsch HT (2005) Diversity of non-reducing polyketide synthase genes in the Pertusariales (lichenized Ascomycota): a phylogenetic perspective. DECHEMA, 17. Irseer Naturstofftage, Irsee, Germany. Poster presentation.

Lumbsch HT, Schmitt I, Kautz S (2003) Phylogenetic relationships of lichenized and non-lichenized ascomycetes and the evolution of ascomata. The Fourth International Symbiosis Society Congress, Halifax, Canada. Poster presentation.

Awards and Honors

German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina - Postdoctoral fellowship (2011-2013)

German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) - Postdoctoral fellowship (2010-2011)

Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA - Internship grant (04/2005-07/2005).

Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA - Internship grant (05/2004-07/2004).

Outreach and related experience

- Since 2010: Expert on Antweb’s AntAsk blog (http://www.antweb.org/antblog/)

- Since 2010: Participation in the “Talk to the Scientist Hour” at DNA Discovery Center and Pritzker Lab the Field Museum of Natural History

- 04/2010: DNA Discovery Center and Pritzker Lab at the Field Museum: Featured Scientist of the month for April 2010 on the Facebook page

- 06/2004: Participation in the Field Museum Member’s night 2004 (2 nights)

1. -06/2005: Participation in the Field Museum Member’s night 2005 (2 nights)
   

2. -05/2011: Participation in the Field Museum Member’s night 2011 (1 night)
   

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

The Field Museum - Phylogenetics Workshop for NSF REU students. Co-taught lecture and computer laboratory with Andŕe Sartori. 2011.

University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany - Plant determination Workshop for undergraduate students (Übung “Blütenbestimmung” für das Grundstudium). Instructor for lecture and practical course. 2009.

University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany - Seminar “Ants: Ecology and Behavior” for graduate students (Seminar “Ameisen: Ökologie und Verhalten” für das Hauptstudium). Instructor. 2009.

University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany - “Functional ecology and plant morphology”. Graduate teaching assistant for lab. Taught by Dr. D.J. Ballhorn. 2007 & 2008

University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany - “Plant determination” and “Plant microscopy”. Undergraduate teaching assistant in lab for instructors: Drs. H. Kutzelnigg (2x), M. Jensen (3x), U. Lions (1x), K. Vogels (2x). 2003-2006

University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany - Leading several excursions: “Ecology of flowering plants”, “Spring flowers”, “Ethnobotany”, “Trees in winter”, “Ethnobotanical uses of cacao”, “Plant defenses”, “Ants in the ecosystem forest”, “Medicinal plants”. 2003-2009.

University of Wuppertal, Germany, Department of Architecture - Leading invited excursion “Plants in urban areas”. 2009.

Co-supervised interns in the Moreau Lab

- Arista Tischner (CIRRUS Summer Undergraduate Intern 2011)

- William Montag (Summer Undergraduate Intern 2010 and NSF REU Summer Undergraduate Intern 2011)

- Sara Zufan (NSF REU Summer Undergraduate Intern 2010)

- Ariadne Lumayag (CIRRUS Summer Undergraduate Intern 2010)

- Alexandrea Gray (Summer High School Intern 2010)