Portal, AZ - Rodeo, NM

CURRICULUM VITAE

Howard Topoff

Address:  P.O. Box 16366, Portal, AZ 85632

Academic Degree:  Ph. D., City University of New York.  (1968).

E-mail: htopoff@mac.com

Academic Affiliations

Curator, Department of Animal Behavior. The American Museum of Natural History: 1968 – 1970.
Research Associate – Department Of Animal Behavior. Department of Entomology, The American Museum of Natural History: 1970 – 2003.

Professor of Biological Psychology, Hunter College of The City University of New York: 1970 – 2003.

Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychology, Hunter College of The City University of New York: 2003 - Present

Membership In Scientific Societies

Animal Behavior Society
American Association For The Advancement Of Science
Sigma Xi
New York Entomological Society
International Society For The Study Of Social Insects

Research Interests

Evolution of social behavior in animals.
Animal communication.
Evolutionary origins of human behavior.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS IN SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS

Topoff, H. 1967. Behavioral and physiological studies of army ants. Journal of the N. Y. Entomological Society 75: 107.

Topoff, H. 1968. The origin and function of castes in army ants. Journal of the N. Y. Entomological Society. 76: 310.

Topoff, H. 1969. T. C. Schneirla: remembrances from a student. Animal Behaviour 17: 590-591.

Topoff, H., Boshes, M. and Trakimas, W. 1970. Trail following and its development in the army ant Neivamyrmex nigrescens (Cresson). American Zoologist 10: 484-485.

Topoff, H. 1970. A unique predatory association between carabid beetles of the genus Helluomorphoides and colonies of the army ant Neivamyrmex nigrescens. Psyche 76: 375-381.

Topoff, H. (posthumous editor) 1971. Army ants: a study in social organization. By T. C. Schneirla. W. H. Freeman and Co., San Francisco.

Topoff, H. 1971. Polymorphism in army ants related to division of labor and colony cyclic behavior. American Naturalist 105: 529-548.

Topoff, H. 1972. Theoretical issues concerning the evolution and development of behavior in social insects. American Zoologist 12: 385-394.

Topoff, H. 1972. Techniques for minimizing the handling of ants in behavioral research. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 65: 1428-1430.

Topoff, H., Boshes, M. and Trakimas, W. 1972. A comparison of trail following between callow and adult workers of the army ant Neivamyrmex nigrescens (Formicidae: Dorylinae). Animal Behaviour 20: 361-366.

Topoff, H., Lawson, K. and Richards, P. 1972. Trail following and its development in the neotropical army ant genus Eciton (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dorylinae). Psyche 79: 357-364.

Topoff, H., Lawson, K. and Richards, P. 1973. Trail following in two species of the army ant genus Eciton: comparison between major and intermediate-sized workers. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 66: 109 -111.

Topoff, H. 1974. Genes, race, and intelligence. In: Racism, sexism, militarism, and social Darwinism. (E. Tobach, ed.). Behavioral Publications, N. Y. pp. 23-66.

Topoff, H. 1975. An ant nest that facilitates removing individuals at all stages of development. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 68: 182-183.

Topoff, H. 1975. Behavioral changes of the army ant Neivamyrmex nigrescens during the nomadic and statary phases. Journal of the N. Y. Entomological Society 83: 38-48.

Topoff, H. and Mirenda, J. 1975. Trail-following by the army ant Neivamyrmex nigrescens: responses by workers to volatile odors. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 68: 1044-1046.

Tuculescu, R., Topoff, H. and Wolfe, S. 1975. Mechanisms of pit construction by antlion larvae. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 68: 719-720.

Topoff, H. 1975. The behavioral uniqueness of animal species. The Sciences 15: 24-28.

Topoff, H. 1976. The social organization of army ants: integration of field and laboratory research. In: Psychological research: the inside story. (M. Siegel and H. P. Zeigler, eds.). Harper & Row, N. Y. pp. 50-75.

Topoff, H. and Mirenda, J. 1978. Precocial behaviour of callow workers of the army ant Neivamyrmex nigrescens: importance of stimulation by adults during mass recruitment. Animal Behaviour 26: 698-706.

Topoff, H. and Mirenda, J. 1978. In search of the precocial ant. In: Behavioral development: comparative and evolutionary aspects. (G. Burghardt and M. Bekoff, eds.). Garland Publ. Co., N. Y. pp. 81-100.

Rettenmeyer, C. W., Topoff, H. and Mirenda, J. 1978. Queen retinues of army ants. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 71: 519-528.

Topoff, H. and Lawson, K. 1979. Orientation of the army ant Neivamyrmex nigrescens: integration of chemical and tactile information. Animal Behaviour 27: 429-433.

Topoff, H., Mirenda, J., Droual, R. and Herrick, S. 1980. Onset of the nomadic phase in the army ant Neivamyrmex nigrescens: distinguishing between callow and larval excitation by brood substitution. Insectes Sociaux. 27: 175-179.

Topoff, H. and Mirenda, J. 1980. Army ants on the move: relation between food supply and emigration frequency. Science 207: 1099-1100.

Topoff, H. and Mirenda, J. 1980. Army ants do not eat and run: influence of food supply on emigration behaviour. Animal Behaviour 28: 1040-1045.

Topoff, H. Droual, R. and Herrick, S. 1980. Behavioural ecology of mass recruitment in the army ant Neivamyrmex nigrescens. Animal Behaviour. 28: 779-789.

Mirenda, J., Eakins, D., Gravelle, K. and Topoff, H. 1980. Predatory behavior and prey selection by army ants in a desert-grassland habitat. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 7: 119-127.

Mirenda, J. and Topoff, H. 1980. Nomadic behavior of army ants in a desert-grassland habitat. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 7: 129-135.

Topoff, H. (ed.) 1981. Animal societies and evolution. Readings from Scientific American. W. H. Freeman, San Francisco.

LaMon, B. and Topoff, H. 1981. Avoiding predation by army ants: defensive behaviours of three ant species of the genus Camponotus. Animal Behaviour 29: 1070-1081.

Topoff, H., Rothstein, A., Pujdak, S. and Dahlstrom, T. 1981. Statary behavior in nomadic colonies of army ants: the effect of overfeeding. Psyche 88: 151-161.

Droual, R. and Topoff, H. 1981. The emigration behavior of two species of the genus Pheidole (Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Psyche 88: 135-150.

Topoff, H. 1982. Behavioral ecology of the army ant Neivamyrmex nigrescens in a desert-grassland habitat. In: The biology of social insects. (M. Breed, C. D. Michener and H. E. Evans, eds.). Westview press, Boulder, Colorado. pp. 98-102.

Topoff, H. 1982. Raiding behavior of the slave-making ant Polyergus breviceps. In: The biology of social insects. (M. Breed, C. D. Michener and H. E. Evans, eds.). Westview press, Boulder, Colorado. pp. 292-293.

Mirenda, J., Eakins, D. and Topoff, H. 1982. Relationship of raiding and emigration in the nearctic army ant Neivamyrmex nigrescens. Insectes Sociaux 29: 308-331.

Kwait, E. and Topoff, H. 1983. Emigration raids by slave-making ants: a rapid-transit system for colony relocation. Psyche. 90: 307-312.

Topoff, H. 1984. Social organization of raiding and emigrations in army ants. In: Advances in the study of behavior.(J. S. Rosenblatt, C. Beer, M. Busnel, and P. Slater, eds.). Vol. 14, Pp. 81-126. Academic Press, N. Y.

Topoff, H. 1984. Levels of social integration in army-ant behavior. In: Behavioral evolution and integrative levels. (G. Greenberg and E. Tobach, eds.). Pp 241-257. Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc, Hillsdale, N. J.

Kwait, E. and Topoff, H. 1984. Raid organization and behavioral development in the slave-making ant Polyergus lucidus Mayr. Insectes Sociaux 31:361-374.

Topoff, H., LaMon, B., Goodloe, L., and Goldstein, M. 1984. Social and orientation behavior of Polyergus breviceps during slave-making raids. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 15:273-279.

McDonald, P. and Topoff, H. 1985. Social control of behavioral development in the ant Novomessor albisetosus (Mayr). Journal of Comparative Psychology 99:3-14

Topoff, H., Inez-Pagani, M., Mack, L., and Goldstein, M. 1985. Behavioral ecology of the slave-making ant Polyergus breviceps in a desert habitat. S.W. Naturalist, 30:289-295.

Topoff, H. 1985. Effect of overfeeding on raiding behavior in the western slave-making ant Polyergus breviceps. National Geographic Research 1:437-441.

Topoff, H., LaMon, B., Goodloe, L., and Goldstein, M. 1985. Ecology of raiding behavior in the western slave-making ant Polyergus breviceps. S.W. Naturalist, 30:259-267.

Topoff, H., Inez-Pagani, M., Goldstein, M., and Mack, L. 1985. Orientation behavior of the slave-making ant Polyergus breviceps in an oak-woodland habitat. Journal of the N.Y. Entomological Society 93:1041-1046.

LaMon, B. and Topoff, H. 1985. Social facilitation of eclosion in the fire ant Solenopsis invicta. Developmental Psychobiology 18:367-374.

Goldstein, M. and Topoff, H. 1985. Reaction of the ant Novomessor albisetosus Mayr to intruders in the nest area (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Insectes Sociaux 32:173-185.

McDonald. P., and Topoff, H. 1986. The development of defensive behavior against predation by army ants. Developmental Psychobiology 19: 351-367.

Topoff, H. (ed.). 1987. The Natural History Reader In Animal Behavior. Columbia University Press, New York.

Goodloe, L., Sanwald, R., Topoff, H. 1987. Host specificity in raiding behavior of the slave-making ant Polyergus lucidus. Psyche 94: 39-44.

Topoff, H., Goodloe, L., Cover, S., Sherman, P., and Greenberg, L. 1988. Colony founding by queens of the obligatory slave-making ant, Polyergus breviceps: the role of the Dufour's gland. Ethology 78: 209-218.

Topoff, H., Bodoni, D., Sherman, P., and Goodloe, L. 1988. The role of scouting in slave raids by Polyergus breviceps. Psyche 94: 264-270.

Goodloe, L. and Topoff, H. 1988. Pupae acceptance by slaves of the social parasitic ant Polyergus. Psyche 94: 293-302.

Topoff, H., and Greenberg, L. 1988. Mating behavior of the socially-parasitic ant Polyergus breviceps: The Role of the Mandibular Glands. Psyche 95: 81-87.

McDonald, P. and Topoff, H. 1988. Biological correlates of behavioral development in the ant, Novomessor albisetosus. Behavioral Neuroscience 102: 986-991.

Topoff, H. Cover, S., and Jacobs, A. 1989. Behavioral adaptations for raiding by the slave-making ant Polyergus breviceps. Journal of Insect Behavior 2: 545-556.

Topoff, H. 1990. The evolution of slave-making behavior in the parasitic ant genus Polyergus. Ethology, Ecology, and Evolution 2:284-287.

Topoff, H. 1990. Slave-making ants. American Scientist 78: 520-528.

Topoff, H. Weickert, T., and Zimmerli, E. 1990. A comparative study of colony takeover between queens of facultative and obligatory slave-making ants. Journal of Insect Behavior 3:813-817.

Topoff, H. and Mendez, R. 1990. Slave raid by a diminutive colony of the socially parasitic ant, Polyergus breviceps. Journal of Insect Behavior 3: 819-821.

Topoff, H., and Zimmerli, E. 1991. Formica wheeleri: Darwin's predatory slave-making ant? Psyche 98: 309-317.

Topoff, H., and Zimmerli, E. 1993. Colony takeover by a socially parasitic ant, Polyergus breviceps: the role of chemicals obtained during host-queen killing. Animal Behaviour 46: 479-486.

Topoff, H., and Zimmerli, E. 1994. Queens Of the socially parasitic ant Polyergus do not kill queens of Formica that have not formed colonies. Journal of Insect Behavior 7: 119-121

Topoff, H. 1995. Approach/Withdrawal theory in comparative psychology. In: Behavioral development (K. Hood, G. Greenberg, and E. Tobach, eds.). Pp. 77-87. Garland Publ. Co., New York

Topoff, H. (1997). Adaptations for social parasitism in slave-making ant genus Polyergus. In: Comparative Psychology Of Invertebrates (G. Greenberg and E. Tobach, eds.). Pp. 177-192. Garland Press.

Johnson CA, Topoff H, Vander Meer RK, & Lavine B (2002) Host queen killing by aslave-maker ant queen: when is a host queen worth attacking? Animal Behaviour. 64: 807-815.

Johnson CA, Topoff H, Vander Meer RK, & Lavine B. 2005. Do these eggs smell funny to you?: An experimental study of egg discrimination by hosts of a slave-maker ant. Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology 57:245-255.

Greenberg, Les, Aliabadi1, Ali, McElfresh, J. Stephen, Topoff, Howard and Millar, Jocelyn. (2005). Sex pheromone of queens of the slave-making ant, Polyergus breviceps. Journal of Chemical Ecology 30: 1297-1303.

PUBLICATIONS IN POPULAR MAGAZINES

Topoff, H. 1972. The social behavior of army ants. Scientific American 227: 70-79.

Topoff, H. 1975. Ants on the march. Natural History Magazine 84: 60-69.

Topoff, H. 1977. The pit and the antlion. Natural History Magazine 86: 64-71.

Topoff, H. 1984. Slavery in ants: invasion of the booty snatchers. Natural History Magazine. 93 (10):78-85.

Topoff, H. 1987. Ant Wars. Natural History Magazine, 96 (No.1): 62-72

Topoff, H. 1987. The body snatchers. Natlional Wildlife Magazine 22(6):33.

Topoff, H. 1994. The ant who would be queen. Nat.ural History Magazine. August: 40-46.

Topoff, H. 1994. Colony takeover by parasitic ants. National Geographic Research & Expoloration, 10:127-129.

Topoff, H. 1995. Child's Play. Natural History Magazine. December Pp.18-24.

Topoff, H. (1996). Let The Games Begin. Natural History Magazine. December Pp. 12-15.

Topoff, H. (1997). A Charles Darwin Birthday Quiz. American Scientist. 85: 104-107.

Topoff, H. (1999). Slave-making queens. Scientific American. November. Pp. 60-66.

Topoff, H. (2003) Slave-driving ants on a mission to survive. Arizona Highways. July. Pp. 42-43.