Myrmecology
Encyclopedia
Myrmecology is the scientific
study of ant
s, a branch of entomology
. Some early myrmecologists considered ant society as the ideal form of society and sought to find solutions to human problems by studying them. Ants continue to be a model of choice for the study of questions on the evolution of social systems because of their complex and varied forms of eusociality. Their diversity and prominence in ecosystems has also made them important components in the study of biodiversity and conservation.
(1865–1937) although human interest in the life of ants goes back further with numerous ancient folk references. The earliest scientific thinking based on observation of ant life was that of Auguste Forel (1848–1931), a Swiss psychologist who was initially interested in ideas of instinct, learning and society. In 1874 he wrote a book on the ants of Switzerland, Les fourmis de la Suisse and he named his home as La Fourmilière (the ant colony). Forel's early studies included attempts to mix species of ants in a colony. He noted polydomy and monodomy in ants and compared them with the structure of nations.
Wheeler looked at ants in a new light, in terms of the social organization and in 1910 he delivered a lecture at Woods Hole on the “The Ant-Colony as an Organism,” which pioneered the idea of superorganisms. Wheeler considered trophallaxis
or the sharing of food within the colony as the core of ant society. This was studied using a dye in the food and observing how it spread in the colony.
Some like Horace Donisthorpe
worked on the systematics of ants. This tradition continued in many parts of the world until advances in other aspects of biology were made. The advent of genetics, ideas in ethology and its evolution led to new thought. This line of enquiry was pioneered by E. O. Wilson
who founded the field termed as sociobiology.
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
study of ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s, a branch of entomology
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
. Some early myrmecologists considered ant society as the ideal form of society and sought to find solutions to human problems by studying them. Ants continue to be a model of choice for the study of questions on the evolution of social systems because of their complex and varied forms of eusociality. Their diversity and prominence in ecosystems has also made them important components in the study of biodiversity and conservation.
History
The word myrmecology was coined by William Morton WheelerWilliam Morton Wheeler
William Morton Wheeler, Ph.D. was an American entomologist, myrmecologist and Harvard professor.-Early life:...
(1865–1937) although human interest in the life of ants goes back further with numerous ancient folk references. The earliest scientific thinking based on observation of ant life was that of Auguste Forel (1848–1931), a Swiss psychologist who was initially interested in ideas of instinct, learning and society. In 1874 he wrote a book on the ants of Switzerland, Les fourmis de la Suisse and he named his home as La Fourmilière (the ant colony). Forel's early studies included attempts to mix species of ants in a colony. He noted polydomy and monodomy in ants and compared them with the structure of nations.
Wheeler looked at ants in a new light, in terms of the social organization and in 1910 he delivered a lecture at Woods Hole on the “The Ant-Colony as an Organism,” which pioneered the idea of superorganisms. Wheeler considered trophallaxis
Trophallaxis
Trophallaxis is the transfer of food or other fluids among members of a community through mouth-to-mouth or anus-to-mouth feeding. It is most highly developed in social insects such as ants, termites, wasps and bees. The word was introduced by the entomologist William Morton Wheeler in 1918...
or the sharing of food within the colony as the core of ant society. This was studied using a dye in the food and observing how it spread in the colony.
Some like Horace Donisthorpe
Horace Donisthorpe
Horace St. John Kelly Donisthorpe was an eccentric British myrmecologist and coleopterist, memorable in part for his enthusiastic championing of the renaming of the genus Lasius after him as Donisthorpea, and for his many claims of discovering new species of beetles and ants.He is often considered...
worked on the systematics of ants. This tradition continued in many parts of the world until advances in other aspects of biology were made. The advent of genetics, ideas in ethology and its evolution led to new thought. This line of enquiry was pioneered by E. O. Wilson
E. O. Wilson
Edward Osborne Wilson is an American biologist, researcher , theorist , naturalist and author. His biological specialty is myrmecology, the study of ants....
who founded the field termed as sociobiology.
List of notable myrmecologists
Note: Names are listed alphabetically.- Donat Agosti
- E. André (1838–1911)
- Cesari Baroni Urbani
- Murray S. BlumMurray S. BlumMurray S. Blum is an American research entomologist and a noted authority in the field of chemical ecology.- Early life and education :Born in 1929 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Blum grew up in that city and in Chicago, Illinois. He earned his Ph.D. in entomology from the University of Illinois....
(1929— ), Chemical ecologist, and an expert on pheromones. - Barry BoltonBarry BoltonBarry Bolton is an English myrmecologist, the world's leading expert on the classification, systematics and taxonomy of ants, who long worked at The Natural History Museum...
, English ant taxonomist. - Thomas Borgmeier
- William L. Brown, Jr.
- J. Clark
- Giovanni CobelliGiovanni CobelliGiovanni Cobelli was an Italian civil servant and amateur naturalist.After his studies in his home town of Rovereto, he went to Vienna to study natural history. On his return to his birthplace he taught at the technical institute, a position he occupied until 1902. He directed, from 1879 to 1937,...
(1849–1937), Italian entomologist. Director of the Rovereto museum. - A. C. Cole, Jr.
- Cedric Collingwood
- W. C. Crawley
- William Steel Creighton
- Mark A. Deyrup
- Horace DonisthorpeHorace DonisthorpeHorace St. John Kelly Donisthorpe was an eccentric British myrmecologist and coleopterist, memorable in part for his enthusiastic championing of the renaming of the genus Lasius after him as Donisthorpea, and for his many claims of discovering new species of beetles and ants.He is often considered...
(1870–1951), British myrmecologist. Named several new species. - Carlos Emery
- Auguste Forel (1848–1931), Swiss myrmecologist, studied brain structure of humans and ants.
- Émil GoeldiÉmil GoeldiÉmil August Goeldi , was a Swiss-Brazilian naturalist and zoologist....
- Deborah GordonDeborah GordonDeborah M. Gordon is a biologist at Stanford University.- Major research :Gordon studies ant colony behavior and ecology, with a particular focus on red harvester ants. She focuses on the developing behavior of colonies, even as individual ants change functions within their own lifetimes.Gordon's...
(1955— ), Studies ant colony behavior and ecology. - William H. Gotwald, Jr.
- William Gould (~1715–?), described by Horace Donisthorpe as "the father of British myrmecology".
- Michael Greene Studies interactions between chemical cues and behavior patterns
- Robert E. Gregg
- Bert HölldoblerBert HölldoblerBert Hölldobler is a German behavioral biologist and Sociobiologist whose primary study subjects are social insects and in particular ants. He is a co-winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his work on The Ants with Edward O. Wilson...
(1936— ), Pulitzer Prize winning German myrmecologist. - Thomas C. JerdonThomas C. JerdonThomas Caverhill Jerdon was a British physician, zoologist and botanist. He is best remembered for his pioneering works on the ornithology of India...
(1811–1872) - Laurent KellerLaurent KellerLaurent Keller is a Swiss evolutionary biologist, myrmecologist, and author. Born and raised in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, he accomplished his studies in biology at the University of Lausanne , after which he was a Research Associate at the Laboratory of Entomology of the University...
(1961— ) - Walter W. Kempf ( - 1976)
- N. Kusnezov
- John E. Lattke
- John T. Longino
- Sir John Lubbock (the 1st Lord and Baron Avebury) (1834–1913), wrote on hymenoptera sense organs.
- William Mann
- Gustav MayrGustav MayrGustav L. Mayr was an Austrian entomologist and professor in Budapest and Vienna. He specialised in Hymenoptera.- Works :* Formicidae [der Novara-Expedition]. Vienna 1865....
, Austrian entomologist and professor in Pest and Vienna. He specialised in Hymenoptera. - Harold Medford - United States Department of AgricultureUnited States Department of AgricultureThe United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
- Patricia Medford - United States Department of AgricultureUnited States Department of AgricultureThe United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
- C. Menozzi
- Mark W. MoffettMark W. MoffettMark Moffett “…has developed a career that combines science and photography, in spite of being a high school dropout. Although his family was not academic, encouraged by his parents he sought out biologists by the age of 12.” He continues to travel to conduct research on ecology and behavior,...
- Derek Wragge MorleyDerek Wragge MorleyBasil Derek Wragge-Morley born in Cambridge was most noted for his work on the study of ants. Derek Wragge-Morley was an independent scientific consultant, who also held posts in journalism throughout his working life...
(1920–1969), research included genetics, social behaviour of animals, and the behaviour of agricultural pests. - Fergus O'RourkeFergus O'RourkeFergus J. O'Rourke was an Irish scientist whose publications included contributions to myrmecology and medical entomology. Educated at Belvedere College, and subsequently at University College Dublin, he graduated from University College Dublin both as a medical doctor and with a Masters in Science...
(1923— 2010), Irish zoologist - Felix SantschiFelix SantschiFelix Santschi was a Swiss entomologist.Santschi is known for his pioneering work on the navigational abilities of ants. In one experiment, he investigated the way harvester ants used the sky to navigate. He found that as long as even a small patch of sky was visible, the ants could return...
- Justin O. SchmidtJustin O. SchmidtJustin Orvel Schmidt is an American entomologist, co-author of Insect Defenses: Adaptive Mechanisms and Strategies of Prey and Predators and creator of the Schmidt Sting Pain Index...
, studies the chemical and behavioral defenses of ants, wasps, and arachnids. - T. C. Schneirla
- S. O. Shattuck
- Frederick SmithFrederick Smith (entomologist)Frederick Smith was a British entomologist.Smith worked in the zoology department of the British Museum from 1849, specialising in the Hymenoptera. In 1875 he was promoted to Assistant Keeper of Zoology...
(1805–1879), worked in the zoology department of the British Museum from 1849, specialising in the Hymenoptera. - Marion R. Smith
- Roy R. SnellingRoy SnellingRoy R. Snelling was an internationally renowned American entomologist who studied Hymenoptera, mainly ants, wasps and bees. He was the emeritus collections manager at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County where he worked for over 30 years, joining the museum in 1963 and retiring in 1993...
(1934–2008), credited with many important finds of rare or new ant species. - R. W. Taylor
- Walter R. TschinkelWalter R. TschinkelWalter R. Tschinkel is a Distinguished Research Professor of Biological Science at Florida State University. He is one of the leading entomologists and myrmecologists studying the behavior of ants and the structure of their colonies....
- James C. Trager
- Philip S. Ward
- E. Wasmann
- Neal A. Weber
- John Obadiah WestwoodJohn Obadiah WestwoodJohn Obadiah Westwood was an English entomologist and archaeologist also noted for his artistic talents.Born in Sheffield, he studied to be a lawyer but abandoned that for his scientific interests....
(1805–1893), English entomologist and archaeologist also noted for his artistic talents. - William Morton WheelerWilliam Morton WheelerWilliam Morton Wheeler, Ph.D. was an American entomologist, myrmecologist and Harvard professor.-Early life:...
(1865–1937), curator of invertebrate zoology in the American Museum of Natural History. Described many new species. - E. O. WilsonE. O. WilsonEdward Osborne Wilson is an American biologist, researcher , theorist , naturalist and author. His biological specialty is myrmecology, the study of ants....
(1929— ), Pulitzer Prize winning American myrmecologist. Revolutionized the field of sociobiology. - Eugene MaraisEugene MaraisEugène Nielen Marais was a South African lawyer, naturalist, poet and writer.- His early years, before and during the Boer War :Marais was born in Pretoria, the thirteenth and last child of his parents, Jan Christiaan Nielen Marais and Catharina Helena Cornelia van Niekerk...
Related terms
- Myrmecochorous (adj.) dispersed by ants.
- Myrmecophagous (adj.) feeding on ants.
- Myrmecophile (n.) an organismOrganismIn biology, an organism is any contiguous living system . In at least some form, all organisms are capable of response to stimuli, reproduction, growth and development, and maintenance of homoeostasis as a stable whole.An organism may either be unicellular or, as in the case of humans, comprise...
that habitually shares an ant nest . myrmecophilous (adj.), myrmecophily (n.) - MyrmidonsMyrmidonsThe Myrmidons or Myrmidones were legendary people of Greek history. They were very brave and skilled warriors commanded by Achilles, as described in Homer's Iliad. Their eponymous ancestor was Myrmidon, a king of Thessalian Phthia, who was the son of Zeus and "wide-ruling" Eurymedousa, a...
(n.) ant-men in Metamorphoses and in Homer's IliadIliadThe Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
, where they are Achilles' warriors.
See also
- List of ants of Great Britain
- BWARS
- FormicariumFormicariumA formicarium or ant farm is a vivarium which is designed primarily for the study of ant colonies and how ants behave. Those who study ant behavior are known as myrmecologists.-History:...
, also known as ant farm - StigmergyStigmergyStigmergy is a mechanism of indirect coordination between agents or actions. The principle is that the trace left in the environment by an action stimulates the performance of a next action, by the same or a different agent...
, a biological mechanism attributed to the coordination of ants and other social insects - Myrmecological NewsMyrmecological newsMyrmecological News is an independent, international, non-profit, peer-reviewed scientific journal devoted to all aspects of ant research...
, an independent, international, non-profit, scientific journal devoted to ant research - International Union for the Study of Social InsectsInternational Union for the Study of Social InsectsInternational Union for the Study of Social Insects is an association of entomologists from different countries engaged in research of social insects...