Michele Lanan

Department of Entomology
Mailing address: Forbes 410, 1140 E. South Campus Rd., Tucson, AZ 85721
Email: lanan@email.arizona.edu

• Curriculum Vitae (pdf)
• Research Interests
• Publications

I am studying the evolution of behavioral and morphological adaptations for liquid food use in the ants. In my postdoctoral research, I am investigating the form and function of the proventriculus (the valve between the crop and midgut) across the ants, in order to better understand how the use of liquid foods evolved. In addition, I am investigating the evolution of other traits related to liquid handling, including trophallaxis (oral sharing of regurgitated food), specialized replete castes for food storage, and alternate methods of liquid transport involving surface tension.