Leaf Cutting Ant Forum

I'm 16 years old a currently studying animal management level 2 at college and I would love to work with doing taxonomy and mainly myrmecology, and I really don't know how to get in that line of work, and what actual jobs titles there are for this line of work.

After level 2 I will do level 3 animal management, then after I was thinking going to university and doing animal biology, and I'm not sure this is the way to get into ants. I also think I will have to do zoology and work with ants that are in zoos, but I was thinking ant work not in zoo's

Could someone help coz I'm a bit confused on it all

ive spoken to my work experience teacher and he says that after level 3 animal care I should do entomology at uni and maybe do a masters in entomology then go on to myrmecology, wondering your thoughts if this is the way to go? and if any of you have a degree in entomology or myrmecology your thoughts?

Folk aren't ignoring your thread Jim they just probably don't know like myself, sorry.

Andrew might know I pm him and he said he will comment

Well that's if he ever gets online

Im here!!!
Sorry.
Do degree in Zoology at UNi, MSc and then PhD in a specialist field looking at Hymenoptera. You need to be reasonably bright and will have to get a 2:1 or better in your degree to go any further. If you step outside a Uni during this time to work in a zoo then I think your journey to being a Myrmecologist will come to an end. You would need to be dedicated to this over the next 10 years. I recommend you start reading everything you can get your hands on regarding ants. Start by reading Holldobbler and Wilsons The Ants, cover to cover. After that, if you still want more then you have a chance!

Hey! Thank you! (Take your time ) jk! There are a few ways to get into myrmecology, everyone Ive ask all have different ways to get into myrmecology.

jimimardlin wrote:Hey! Thank you! (Take your time ) jk! There are a few ways to get into myrmecology, everyone Ive ask all have different ways to get into myrmecology.

Kind of depends on what kind of myrmecologist you want to be. Theres only one way to be a professional myrmecologist (Myrmecology doesn't really exist as a field of science, its a branch of Entomology. Its kind of made up to define an Entomologist who wants to more specifically define their field of speciality) and thats through research and academia. Otherwise you are using the term Myrmecologist to cover a very wide range of activities from hobby to research. I would be interested to hear another way of becoming a Myrmecologist that didnt involve working through University to PhD and beyond, specialising in research on Social Insects, specifically ants.

You've confused me what does a "myrmecologist" actually do then? What different fields can they study in "myrmecology"

jimimardlin wrote:You've confused me what does a "myrmecologist" actually do then? What different fields can they study in "myrmecology"

The term Myrmecologist simply refers to the study of ants. To say you want to be a Myrmecologist infers that you want to do research on ants. If this is the case you can either become a serious hobbyist and keep ants and develop an interest in various aspects of their life history or you can do this as a job, which is what I thought you were meaning when you said you want to be a myrmecologist. In order to do this and get paid to do this, you need to go through the university system and end up as a researcher based at a university carrying out work on ants. You will need a PhD and a tenure as a lecturer at a uni. So you need to dedicate yourself for the next 10 years just to have a chance of this.Lots or work.