Since 2011 – Assistant Professor, Charles University in Prague

Since 2007 – Researcher, Charles University in Prague;

2005 – 2009 – Ph.D. study of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague; Ph.D. thesis successfully defended in September 2009 (supervisor Doc. RNDr. Jitka Vilímová, CSc.);

Born February 28, 1981, Brandýs nad Labem

Teaching activities: Charles University in Prague:

System and Phylogeny of Invertebrates (practices, field course); Basic Course of Entomology (practices); Phylogeny of Insects II (3. lectures); Biology of Social Insects (1/3 of lectures); 1 PhD, 5 MSc and 5 BSc students finished their theses under my supervising.

University of South Bohemia: Biology of Social Insects (1/3 of lectures)

Grants:

2010-2012: Neighbourhood society: parasitic and social interactions in solitary bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea), nesting behaviour of Anthophora plumipes, (3 year CSF) P506/10/0403; main researcher.

2010-2012: Strepsiptera of the genus Stylops (Stylopidae): evolution of host specificity, chemical ecology and behaviour of parasitized host, (3 year CSF) P506/10/1466; co-researcher.

2009-2011: Evolution of nest cleptoparasitism in bees based on the model group of the genus – Sphecodes (Insecta: Hymenoptera, Halictidae), (3 year CSF) 206/09/0522; co-researcher.

Other activities: Czech Entomological Society member; Editor of European Journal of Entomology; Member of editorial board of Folia Heyrovskiana

Publications: Author and co-author of 28 scientific articles with IF on Web of Science, 15 articles without IF and 2 books.

Selected publications:

Tropek R., Cerna I., Straka J., Kadlec T., Pech P., Tichanek F. & Sebek P. 2014: Restoration management of fly ash deposits crucially influence their conservation potential for terrestrial arthropods. Ecological Engineering 73: 45–52. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2014.09.011

Straka J., Černá K., Macháčková L., Zemenová M. & Keil P. 2014: Lifespan in the wild: the role of activity and climate in natural populations of bees. Functional Ecology 28(5): 1235-1234. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12261

Černá K., Zemenová M., Macháčková L., Kolínová Z. & Straka J. 2013: 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

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.

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 Entomology 109: 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.

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.