Randy C. Morgan,
Invertebrate Conservation Program Manager
Insectarium, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
3400 Vine Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45220 USA
Tel: (513) 281-4701 x8348
Fax: (513) 559-7791

email:randy.morgan@cincinnatizoo.org

     My primary areas of interest are husbandry and public educational live display. At the Insectarium (Insect Zoo), we have worked with a variety of larger or 'showy' ant species. We currently are keeping Atta cephalotes (leaf-cutting ants), Paraponera clavata (bullet ants), and Myrmecocystus mendex (honey ants). Atta and Paraponera have been on public exhibit for a number of years and are among the most popular of all our insect displays. We plan on developing a display for Myrmecocystus this coming winter.
      Most of my field work with ants has been directed at collecting live colonies. However, I am now in the very early stages of new project (which will undoubtedly be a learning experience for me). I just began looking at the ants of the Kitty-Todd Nature Preserve (Oaks Openings region) near Toledo, Ohio. And in particular, I want to focus on species associating with caterpillars of the Federally listed (endangered) Karner blue butterfly, Lycaeides mellissa samuelis, (Lycaenidae), which was repatriated at that site several years back by the Toledo Zoo, Nature Conservancy and several other conservation partners. To get up to speed on field survey techniques and taxonomy, I am attending the Ant Course this coming August at the S.W. Research Station in Portal Arizona. I'd be delighted to hear from anyone working with ants and lycaenid caterpillars.