Our lab went full Halloween mode this year and built a giant ant entirely out of pumpkins! It may not bite, but it definitely turned heads in the hallway.  

Rows of neatly arranged test tubes each house a pair of Tetramorium immigrans queens, poised at the very start of their colony-founding journey. Soon, these founding pairs will drive a large-scale experiment on early colony dynamics  

With Micro-CT, we are diving deep beneath the surface, capturing internal structures with incredible precision in stunning 3D detail. Stay tuned—some seriously cool imagery is on the way! 

A Pogonomyrmex occidentalis nest close to USU campus; They build their nests in open, sunny areas with well-drained soil, often creating large cleared zones around the nest entrance by removing surrounding vegetation.  

Carson presenting his preliminary data as a poster at the Undergraduate Research Symposium organized by the USU Research Office in April 2025. 

We hosted a dinner to celebrate Kaylee joining the lab as a graduate student—welcome to the team! 

A worker head of Pogonomyrmex occidentalis showing the mandibles; the angle of the primary tooth is a key distinguishing feature of this species. 

Cultivating colonies of Pogonomyrmex barbatus in the lab using Actyl boxes as nest containers. 

One of the many scenic hiking trails in Logan, surrounded by lush greenery—just a glimpse of what this beautiful place has to offer when it comes to unwinding and reconnecting with nature. 

The snow-covered mountain slopes in Logan offer some of the best skiing opportunities in the United States, with pristine, powdery snow and breathtaking alpine views, making it a top destination for winter sports enthusiasts.  

A queen of Pogonomyrmex barbatus, one of the longest-living insect queens; is an evolutionary mystery, continuing to fascinate researchers with her longevity and role in colony dynamics. 

A colony of Pogonomyrmex rugosus, known for their efficient seed collection and foraging abilities; plays a crucial role in desert ecosystems.