Ahhh Ant Course. I have wanted to attend this amazing opportunity since first hearing about it in 2011. This year was my first chance and all I can say is that it was absolutely amazing. 30 students from around the world and about 15 professors created an atmosphere that I have never, and may never get to experience again. I collected at least 70 species across 28 genera in a 9 day span and the Southwestern Research Station in Portal was amazing as advertised. I cannot say enough about Brian Fisher and the work he puts into making sure this event occurs each year. Just unbelievable. The faculty he brings together are some of the best in the world and span the fields of behavior, ecology, systematics, and taxonomy. On a personal note, I finally observed trap jaw ants in the wild (which has been a goal of mine for almost 5 years)!
Additionally, there should be some exciting news in the next month about two scientific notes that have been accepted for publication detailing new subfamily and genus distribution records for Oklahoma.
Roeder Lab 