Steven C. Cook

Postdoctoral Research Associate

     Department of Entomology
     Minnie Belle Heep Building, Rm 507a
     Texas A&M University
     College Station, TX 77843-2475

     Phone: +001 (979) 845-0350
     Fax: +001 (979) 845-6305
     E-mail: sc-cook@tamu.edu

Ants are arguably one of the most abundant and ecologically important insect groups on Earth. Likely aiding their evolutionary and ecological success as a group is having a broad dietary breadth with diets ranging from relatively balanced in terms of protein and carbohydrates, to those that are extremely unbalanced with carbohydrates in excess. A spectacular array of morphological and physiological characteristics exhibited by ants, many of which correlate with diet, may act as regulatory mechanisms reducing the elemental imbalances between ingested foods and body composition, and/or may function to use dietary excesses to obtain those that are limiting. Variability in diet, and associated morphological and physiological traits of ants, promotes this insect group as a compelling system with which to ask myriad questions regarding form and function, behavior, and evolutionary factors giving rise to such variation. Currently, I am conducting research on the nutritional biology of the highly invasive red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta. I am using the experimental approach of the ‘Geometric Framework’ to graphically represent this species’ seasonal dietary protein and carbohydrate requirements, and am conducting studies to investigate how individual and collective worker behavior function to meet colony dietary requirements. A decipherment of the nutritional biology of S. invicta may help elucidate the mechanisms establishing the ecological predominance of this species in its introduced range, and also may help with formulation of more efficient baits aiding control of the species’ spread and damage.

Ph.D. in Biology (University of Utah, 2007)
B.S. in Biology (University of Utah, 2000)

Davidson, D.W. and Cook, S.C. (in press) Resource imbalances and the evolutionary ecology
     of tropical arboreal ants. In W.P. Carsen and S.A. Schnitzer (eds.) Tropical Forest
     Community Ecology, Blackwell Science Ltd.

Davidson, D.W., Lessard, J.P., Bernau, C.R. and Cook, S.C. (2007) The tropical ant mosai
     in a primary Bornean rain forest. Biotropica 39, 486-475.

Cook, S.C. and Davidson, D.W. (2006) Nutritional and functional biology of ants
     (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 118, 1-10.

Davidson, D.W., Cook, S.C. and Snelling, R.R. (2004) Liquid-feeding performances in ants
     (Formicidae): ecological and evolutionary implications. Oecologia 139, 255-266.

Davidson, D.W., Cook, S.C., Snelling, R.R. and Chua, T.H. (2003) Explaining the abundance
     of ants in lowland tropical rainforest canopies. Science 300, 969-972.