The Ant Man: Dr Colby Tanner

Despite what this picture taken at Dublin Airport suggests, ants are rare in Ireland, and, experts believe, they are becoming rarer (Credit: Jen)

Ants are members of the group of social insects (insects that live together in large colonies) which includes bees and termites. They are fascinating creatures to study.

They organise their societies with precision, every individual has a clear role, they are brilliant builders, ferocious in defending their interests, and have incredible physical and sensory abilities.

Dr Colby Tanner, ant researcher based at the TCD Theoretical Ecology Group would certainly agree that ants are fascinating.

Colby has been working recently in the University of Lausanne with a group using infra-red as a way to track individual ants, in order to  find out exactly where they go and what they do, within the colony.

LISTEN: Interview with Colby Tanner

Broadcast on 103.2 Dublin City FM on 26-04-2012