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Into the Ant Hill: An Interview with Entomologist Dr. Suarez

We share the earth with a wide array of diverse animals, insects, and plants. Within our day-to-day life, however, we might only come across a few of the many species residing on this planet. One type of small and abundant creature we see a lot of is the ant! Ants are incredibly diverse, and with such a wide variety in behavior, I began to wonder more about these little critters. Luckily, I had the incredible opportunity to interview Dr. Andrew Suarez, an Assistant Professor of Entomology, or the study of insects, at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Suarez specializes in ant ecology and behavior. So put your worker hat on, and follow me into the ant hill, as we learn more about Dr. Suarez, and these tiny creatures.

Although Dr. Suarez studies ants now, it was not always that way. Towards the end of his undergraduate degree, which he obtained at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, he actually worked in a bird lab where he studied their nesting behaviors and how they interact with their environments. Dr. Suarez then went on to get his masters studying birds again. However, during his PhD, he ended up switching labs, and studying lizards – and guess what these lizards were eating? Ants! He had to learn how to identify these specific ants based on their physical and behavioral distinctions. Dr. Suarez mentioned that there was a specific species of ant, the Argentine ant, that was displacing the food source for the lizards. Since his family was from Argentina (and conveniently, his grandmother’s 80th birthday was happening around the same time), he went to Argentina and stayed for a few months to compare the way these ants behaved in their natural environments to the way they were behaving in the States. This specific experience launched Dr. Suarez into years of research focused on ants and invasive species biology. Learning about Dr. Suarez’s journey into studying ants was insightful, however, I couldn’t help but wonder: how did this research impact how he engaged with media depictions of ants. Surely, there are bound to be misconceptions in the way they are portrayed.

One major misconception about ants, according to Dr. Suarez, is regarding their social structure. While many movies might portray the ‘workers’ in an ant colony as primarily male, Dr. Suarez stated that all of the ants that you see walking around are actually female! Male ants are actually quite fragile and only live to reproduce. So all of the ants that you see in your day to day swarming, perhaps on some chips on the ground, are actually female workers, all led by a female queen! Another major misconception is that all ants live in large colonies. Dr. Suarez stated that some ants actually reside in smaller colonies – and thus, they need to have characteristics that make foraging more efficient. One of these species is the trap jaw ant. These tiny bear traps have large jaws that they keep open until they spot prey or food. Once spotted, their jaws shut rapidly, trapping their prey like insects in a venus fly trap. Trap jaw ants are an extraordinary example of how animals must adjust and adapt to their given environments and circumstances. However, they’re not the only ones – all animals across the globe are shaped by the dual interaction they have with the environment!

The field of study that deals with these relationships is known as ecology. According to Dr. Suarez, in short, ecology is the interaction between organisms, such as animals, and their environments. For example, how do temperature and precipitation create variants in plants, and how do these variants create specific habitats for animals? Ecology has many subdivisions; one of these being urban ecology – the study of the interactions between animals, humans, and urban environments such as cities. Currently, a student in Dr. Suarez’s lab is interested in how ant behavior specifically can change as a result of urbanization. Specifically, their research is highly interested in what behavioral, and physiological adaptations these ants could have that make them well suited to survive in urban environments. One theory that Dr. Suarez mentioned regarding this is that because of the amounts of fixed, sugary foods available to these ants, they are able to fuel and maintain larger colonies, and workforces. A major concern regarding urban insects is the possibility of them displacing native insects that are necessary for ecosystems to thrive. Alongside this, other urban insects, such as mosquitoes, have an increased risk of carrying human diseases. Dr. Suarez believes that as urbanization increases, and the natural environments for these insects decrease, the possibility of this risk will most likely increase – having major implications for human health and the environment.

Recently, there has been a lot of news regarding emerging species of ants that are acclimating to these urban environments. Specifically, the ‘ManhattANT’. This ant is actually a European species of ant that somehow made its way to New York City, and is quickly colonizing the area. This might leave one wondering: how did a European ant get to the United States? Well, one of the main ways is through ships. Dr. Suarez explained that throughout history, countries have relied on sea trade for goods. If the cargo on these ships had food, ants would be attracted to them, and then be accidentally shipped across the oceans. In the modern day, this is done at a much more accelerated rate. So, it is highly likely that these ants hitched a ride on one of these ships, and made their big move to NYC.

W’ant’ To Learn More? (Get it?)

Dr. Suarez attributes his initial interests in animal behavior to a childhood full of exploring the outdoors, and he encourages parents to do so with their children. Increasing curiosity through outdoor exploration and visiting zoos and aquariums is a great way to get started. For older individuals, investigate questions of interest! If you see an animal engaging in a specific behavior and want to know more, come up with questions and predictions about that behavior, and partake in research!

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