© 2025 Ideastream Public Media

1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
(216) 916-6100 | (877) 399-3307

WKSU is a public media service licensed to Kent State University and operated by Ideastream Public Media.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Sylvana Ross Researches Tapinoma Sessile, the Odorous House Ant

Season 1 Episode 1 | 9m 44s

Urban Ecologist Sylvana Ross visits Baltimore, Maryland to find Tapinoma Sessile, the odorous house ant. Ross’ research is focused on ants and how they respond to different environments within a city. By comparing ants in historically red-lined neighborhoods and those in more open, green spaces, Ross is able to measure how ants respond to human-altered habitats.

Extras
Ummat Somjee goes to Thailand to observe the cultural tradition of fighting beetles.
On the plains of South Africa, an army of dung beetles recycle the dung of large mammals.
Gavin Svenson heads to the Brazilian rainforest to sample the diversity of mantises.
Dragonfly expert Jessica Ware heads to Guyuna to sample dragonfly diversity.
Monarch butterflies winter in the fir forests of Michoacan, Mexico, after an epic migration.
Jesse Barber and Akito Kawahara study the evolutionary arms race between bats and moths.
A four-part investigation into insect declines, exploring their diversity and ecological importance.
Evolutionary Biologist Ummat Somjee describes his research on Flag-footed bugs in Panamá.
Beetles are the world’s most abundant animals, called “the most important species on the planet.”
Praying mantises and aquatic insects reveal cunning physical adaptations for ruthless survival.
Pollinators – bees, moths and butterflies – bring color to the world and put food on our plates.
Could a world without insects survive? Scientists investigate the global insect “apocalypse.”