The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a Project Grant under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) to The Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford University) in the amount of $264,850.00, with a project period from September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2028. This grant supports collaborative research to investigate how the collective behavior and foraging activity of red harvester ant colonies in the southwestern United States are affected by their physiological adaptations to drought stress. The research aims to examine the role of cuticular hydrocarbons in regulating water loss, and how changes in this chemical profile may shape the colonies' foraging responses to dry conditions. The project will continue a long-term demographic study of approximately 300 ant colonies to assess the heritability of the cuticular hydrocarbon profile and its relationship to colony fitness and survival under intensifying drought conditions. This research advances the scientific understanding of insect adaptation and plasticity, with potential implications for predicting the impacts of climate change on vulnerable ecosystems.
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