iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

If you missed the #SciComm slam from No Coast 2026, you can still catch the recorded live stream! If you're short on time (or just have a love of #ants) feel free to check out my 5 minute "love story" involving competition between #solenopsis and #pogonomyrmex ants! youtu.be/JjB24UdADV4?...

youtu.be

Love Stings: The Long-Lasting Venom of Species Invasions

YouTube video by No Coast SciComm

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Later this week, I'm performing in the 2026 No Coast #SciComm Science Slam on Thursday at 5:30pm Central! The theme is romcom, and I'll be telling the story of how fire ants ended up being a main player in my research on the florida harvester #ant

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

We finally got fire #ants back in the lab! It's been two weeks since returning from #IUSSI and I'm happy to have the little critters back. Even if/when they sting me

Sunrise over a fire ant mound in a baseball park

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

While guiding my class to sample biodiversity around campus, I spotted a #moth mimicking a #wasp. It has such a cool color palette, such stylish wings!

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

I still have a long way to go, but I definitely learned a lot when it comes to finding #ant nests and taking #macro photos in the field. It's work, but it's fun, too!

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Cooking up some serious ant ecology in Switzerland with the summer school crew

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

The #ant photos are going to be coming this week. The #Formica worker on the end.. doesn't seem to be helping.. good thing her sister is strong 🐜💪

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I had an incredible time and met so many friendly and intelligent people at #IUSSI this past week, but I have one complaint: I now want to study practically everything from genomics, behavior, environment, isoptera, hymenoptera, shrimp, spiders, just everything was so, so fantastic! 🐝🐜🕸️🦐

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Not a special #wasp for most folks around here, but this #Vespula germanica was my first #insect photo of my trip for the #IUSSI conference. Can you tell these two apart?

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

I had to join in! "Describe your research with a YouTube thumbnail" This has been true for the past 6ish years

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

While recording a fire #ant #sting, I couldn't resist having a little fun with a #GTA #wasted meme. The stings can be annoying, but the reputation is far worse than reality

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Can't wait to talk about collective #behavior in fire #ants in just a few weeks at #IUSSI! I'm going to present on #rafting behavior and a #model I've been working on to describe it

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

A handful of garden buddies to motivate me to keep doing yardwork. Three of these are in #Hymenoptera, and one is an imposter.

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

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!

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

This may or may not have something to do with using ether indoors. Remember your #lab #safety!

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

These Northern fungus farming #ants (Trachymyrmex septentrionalis) were busy this weekend. Don't they look cool?

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

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

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

#Ants can be cute, too! Just take a look at this mother #fireant tending her brood. You can already see the eyes of the little pupae!

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

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 🤔

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

These beautiful sharpshooters got carried away on my dwarf sunflower #macro #insect

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

How perfect is this?! A #FireAnt nuptial flight on mother's day! Check out this #macro clip of these future #ant moms

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

It can be hard to notice when you improve your skills. I think this #macro video of an Argentine #ant gathering honeydew from an #aphid is my best yet!

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

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

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

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

A watercolor painting of an alligator snapping turtle using a smart phone as a lure

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Reposted by Andrew Robertson

Smart Tea Podcast @smartteapodcast.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

NEW EPISODE! We sit down with Andrew Robertson (@andrew-antdude.bsky.social) winner of the #myscijourney competition hosted by @galacticpolymath.com. Dive into the remarkable world of ants and learn how complicated these tiny creatures are! Listen now www.smartteapodcast.com/andrew-rober...

smartteapodcast.com

Smart Tea Podcast | Andrew Robertson

Ants may not be very big, but we have a lot to learn from these tiny creatures! Andrew Robertson, a PhD candidate at Georgia Tech and winner of Galactic Polymath Education Studio's 2025 #MySciJourney ...

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

How do you keep a lid on #invasive species? I agree with the authors. Broadcasting poisoned baits will hurt much more than just the fire #ant. The USDA waged wars against fire ants using the same idea in the late 50s. Probably not the best use of resources onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Broadcast Baiting May Ultimately Help Fire Ants Spread, Not Eradicate Them

Click on the article title to read more.

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

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 👀

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

It made me pretty nervous at first, but teaching has become such an important part of my career. For context, I served as head TA for a large ecology class this fall, and I got some excellent anonymous feedback from the students. Here are some of my favorites:

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

Have you ever run into a neighbor while on vacation? That's how it felt finding a Trachymyrmex #ant while in Colombia! These fungus farmers have some of my favorite patterns on ants. Can you tell which is from my back yard? (And which one had my clip on #macro lens?)

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

Ok, I promise this is a one and done sort of post, but it just happened too perfectly. My brother collected cards back around 2000 and gave me his spare digletts (I didn't know how to play but loved the art) What should come from my first ever pack but a rare #DurantEX! Ant card for the #ant guy!

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

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

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

Post a photo of an animal that looks Gen-AI but is 100% real Arrenodes minutus - Helen, Georgia

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

This #Acromyrmex leafcutter #ant I saw in Colombia has quickly become one of my all time favorite #macrophoto

A spiny ant carries a leaf in her mandibles

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Thanks to everyone who supported me! Thanks especially to @galacticpolymath.com for hosting the competition and helping me to get deeper into science communication! More #ant research is on the way!

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

Got a few nice #macro photos with the #fire #ants today, and managed to get a shot of the tiny chompers on this male. If you want to support my work with fire ants, don't forget to leave a like on my #scicomm video! Contest ends Saturday! youtu.be/DXypfsxjl0Q?...

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

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

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

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...

A biologist crouches next to a 40-liter pot of boiling water in the middle of a sandy pine forest. The water will be used to eliminate invasive fire ants.

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

It's all about perspective. The lines on the wings of this #fly don't look like much to me, but it managed to scare off this invasive needle #ant by mimicking a spider with quick sidestep movements. At least, that's how it looked, from my perspective

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

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?

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

#Ants are totally wild!! From obligately chimeric males to hybridogenesis and now "xenoparity" they really have just about every mode of reproduction I can think of. And probably a few that I can't! Link to this fascinating new article: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.com

One mother for two species via obligate cross-species cloning in ants - Nature

In a case of obligate cross-species cloning, female ants of Messor ibericus need to clone males of Messor structor to obtain sperm for producing the worker caste, resulting in males from the same moth...

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

Assassin #bugs look so metal 🤘 This nice fella was on my front door. Thanks for the free pest control!

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

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! 👀

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

What is common knowledge in your field, but shocks outsiders? The US waged three wars against fire ants early in their arrival to the US nearly 100 years ago (through my hometown!). They dropped a variety of poisons with actual bombers across the southeast that likely hurt native animals more.

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

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 💚

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

A trip to California absolutely means trying my hand at #ant #macrophotography

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

I had a photoshoot with the #NeedleAnts today, #brachyponera chinensis. I couldn't decide what to post, so here's a thread, starting with predation on a favorite meal here in Atlanta, a #Reticulitermes worker

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Andrew Robertson @andrew-antdude.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

A new neighbor moved in this spring. Polistes exclamans is so vibrant

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