Research interests

• Ants
• Arthropods
• Mammals
• Community ecology
• Biogeography
• Evolutionary ecology

 

 

 

Scientific projects

My PhD project is the first extensive study on the ecology and taxonomy of ants in Iran. In this project, we want to obtain a detailed perspective of the ants from the country. The identification of the ant fauna of Iran and the determination of species richness, community structure and composition of ants in three main biomes of Iran (temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests and desert and xeric shrublands) are the most important aims of this project that will be conducted along an ecological gradient, over a long transect (ca 1600 km) from the north to the south of Iran. 10 sites in 5 different ecoregions (two samples sites for every ecoregion) will be studied. Ants will be sampled with pitfall traps, bait traps, Winkler collectors and direct hand collecting. The collected specimens will entail in a comprehensive collection of the Iranian ant fauna, with voucher specimens that will be deposited at the Zoological Museum of Gorgan University in Gorgan, Iran.

Publications

Paknia O, Pfeiffer M (2010 in preparation) Environmental and spatial drivers of community composition of ants across a latitudinal transect in Iran

Paknia O, Pfeiffer M (2010 submitted) Hierarchical partitioning of ant diversity: implications for conservation of biogeographical diversity in arid and semi-arid ecoregions of Iran

Paknia O, Pfeiffer M (2011) Steppe versus desert: multi-scale spatial patterns in diversity of ant communities in Iran. Insect Conservation and Diversity, DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-4598.2011.00136.x

Villalobos F, Paknia O (2011) Biogeography and ecology: two lenses in one telescope. frontiers of biogeography 3:5-7

Paknia O, Radchenko A, Pfeiffer M (2010) New records of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Iran. Asian Myrmecology 3:29-38

Radchenko A, Paknia O (2010) Two new species of the genus Cataglyphis Foerster, 1850 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Iran. Annales Zoologici (Warszawa) 60:69-76

Paknia O, Radchenko A, Alipanah H & Pfeiffer M (2008). A preliminary checklist of the ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Iran. Myrmecological News 11: 151-159

Paknia O, Kami HG (2007) New and additional record for Formicid (Hymenoptera: Insecta) fauna of Iran. Zoology in the Middle East 40:85-90

Paknia O (2006) Distribution of the introduced ponerine ant Pachycondyla sennaarensis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Iran. Myrmecologische Nachrichten 8:235-238

Tirgari S, Paknia O (2005) First record of ponerine ant (Pachycondyla sennaarensis) in Iran and some notes on its ecology. Zoology in the Middle East 34:67-70

Tirgari S, Paknia O (2004) Additional records for the Iranian Formicidae fauna. Zoology in the Middle East 32:115-116

Conference contributions

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Paknia O, Pfeiffer M (2009) Spatial patterns in diversity of ant communities in Iran along a north-to-south environmental gradient. Talk presented at 1st Central European Meeting of International Union for the study of social Insects (IUSSI), Chiemsee, Germany, Chiemsee, Germany

Paknia O, Pfeiffer M (2009) A hierarchical analysis of species richness and diversity of ants in Iran. Poster presented at the 7th ANeT meeting Jakarta, Indonesia

Paknia O, Pfeiffer M (2007) Myrmecological studies along ecological gradients in Iran - questions and methods. Poster presented at the 6th ANeT meeting, Patiala, India

Vakhide N, Paknia O, Habibi H (2007) Description of specific behaviors of acrobat ant Crematogaster sp. in Babolsar climate, Iran. Talk presented at the 6th ANeT meeting, Patiala, India

Vakhide N, Bagherian A, Paknia O (2007) Diurnal and seasonal activity patterns in the acrobat ants Crematogaster sp. in Babolsar, Iran. Talk presented at the 6th ANeT meeting, Patiala, India

Bagherian A, Akbarzadeh M, Paknia O (2007) Diurnal and seasonal activity pattern in invasive ant Lasius neglectus (Formicinae) in South coast Of Caspian Sea, Iran. 6th ANeT meeting, Patiala, India

Bagherian A, Dehghani, AA. Paknia O (2007) The use of artificial neural networks in ecological analysis: estimating activity pattern in ants (Crematogaster: Formicidae). 6th ANeT meeting, Patiala, India

Paknia O, Kashani, E (2005) Distribution of invasive ants Pachycondyla sennaarensis in Iran. Talk presented at the 5th ANeT meeting, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Paknia O (2005) Ant collection in Zoological Museum of Gorgan University (ZMGU), Iran. Talk presented at the 5th ANeT meeting, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
 
Paknia O (2005) Brief review of phylogeny of Formicidae subfamilies. Poster presented at the First Biological Evolution Conference, Mashhad, Iran

Paknia O, Kami HGH, Nikmahzar E (2005) New records of Centipedes fauna of Iran. Poster presented at the 13th Iranian Biology Conference, Rasht, Iran

Paknia O, Rahmani Z (2005) Preliminary fauna and abundance of ant subfamilies in Bojnurd County. Poster presented at the First International Iranian Congress on Biological sciences, Karaj, Iran

Tirgari S, Paknia O, Akbarzadeh K, Nateghpour M (2004) First report on the presence and medical importance of stinging ant in Southern Iran (Hym: Formicidae: Ponerinae). Talk presented at the XXII International Congress of Entomology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Paknia O, Tirgari S (2004) Study of fauna and geographical distribution of stinging ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and their medical importance in Lar, Iran. Poster presented at the 16th Congress of plant protection, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran

Paknia O, and Kashani E (2003) The study of ants (Formicidae: Hymenoptera) fauna in Lar city. Poster presented at the XI Iranian Biology Conference, Urima, Iran

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