Andrew Robertson
@andrew-antdude
PhD candidate at Georgia Tech studying ant behavior and epigenetics
A handful of garden buddies to motivate me to keep doing yardwork. Three of these are in #Hymenoptera, and one is an imposter.
I found some fire #ants feeding on some #membracid nymphs, who were feeding on my dwarf sunflower. I don't mind, and I'm happy to offer some food in exchange for these blurry #macro videos. I just wish it wasn't so breezy when I found them!
I was hoping to see the fire ants in China someday. But not anytime soon, I guess.
These Northern fungus farming #ants (Trachymyrmex septentrionalis) were busy this weekend. Don't they look cool?
It's easy to focus so closely on work that you forget to have hobbies. I managed to find this vibrant #Formica pallidefulva queen #ant just last week. She's in her claustral chamber (test tube) for privacy, and I hope in a month or so to see little orange helpers. Oh, the joys of #antkeeping
This is a first for me! A #myrmecogynandromorph! This fire #Ant is partly worker and partly male. It raises a lot of questions about #development and #caste 🤔
I always heard getting pooped on by a bird was a sign of good luck. Well, as I turn 30 today, this little #fly dressed as my school mascot decided to bestow some luck on me
I'm not much of an artist, but I'm happy to participate in the Clough Art Crawl this spring at #GeorgiaTech ! This was my first #watercolor since maybe 2013? It's kind of sloppy, but I had fun with it and I'm happy to present it this spring. Maybe I should paint some ants next
Sometimes it can be hard to find the silver linings, but 2025 was a good year for me to get loads of practice in #insect #macrophotography How many kinds of #ants can you see? Bonus points if you can also report the number of genera or species 👀
Just got word that our cost of living adjustments for graduate students (cut from 6% to 4% in August) just got cut to 0% 🙃 Please get friends and family to study and vote, y'all On a lighter note, here are some stingless bees from Colombia. The nest is in the wall, and they close the door at night
Post a photo of an animal that looks Gen-AI but is 100% real Arrenodes minutus - Helen, Georgia
This #Acromyrmex leafcutter #ant I saw in Colombia has quickly become one of my all time favorite #macrophoto
How often do you run into your school's mascot? This southern #yellowjacket #wasp queen was buzzing around my backyard yesterday, probably looking for a place to overwinter. Hope I don't meet her daughters in the spring
I made a video for @galacticpolymath.com describing #MySciJourney in the world of #ants as part of their science communication challenge. Give it a quick look and remember to leave a like! #scicomm #outreach www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXyp...
Throwback to when I met my first trapjaw #ant (Odontomachus brunneus) in South Alabama. She gave me a little kiss, but it would be weeks later until I got my first sting. Ponerine venom feels really different from myrmecine, don't you think?
Assassin #bugs look so metal 🤘 This nice fella was on my front door. Thanks for the free pest control!
I'm planning to post more cool #ant pictures from my short time in #Colombia but I can't resist sharing this spiny #Trachymyrmex in the meantime. What big eyes she has! 👀
It's national #Pollinator week in the US! Here are a couple photos of native #bees, a paper #wasp, and the best #mosquito I've ever met! Where would we be without them 💚
A trip to California absolutely means trying my hand at #ant #macrophotography