Walter R. Tschinkel (full name Walter Reinhart Tschinkel, born September 15, 1940) is an American myrmecologist, entomologist, and Distinguished Research Professor of Biological Science and Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor emeritus at Florida State University.
Biography
Tschinkel was born on September 15, 1940, in what is now the Czech Republic. His family emigrated to the United States in 1946 and was naturalized in 1955. He earned a B.A. in biology from Wesleyan University in 1962, followed by a Master's (1965) and Ph.D. (1968) in Comparative Biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied chemical communication and chemical defenses of tenebrionid beetles under Howard Bern and Clyde Willson. He conducted postdoctoral research with Tom Eisner at Cornell University and later served as a lecturer at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa. He joined the Department of Biological Science at Florida State University in 1970, attaining full professor status in 1980.
Research
Tschinkel's research has focused on the social biology, ecology, and natural history of ants, as well as the chemical defenses of tenebrionid beetles. He has published more than 150 original research papers and two major books.
His major research areas include:
- Fire ant biology: Extensive work on the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), including colony founding, colony development, worker polymorphism, food flow, queen fertility regulation, territoriality, and population biology.
- Subterranean ant nest architecture: Pioneered methods for casting underground ant nests using orthodontal plaster and liquid metal, producing detailed three-dimensional casts. This work is documented in his 2021 book Ant Architecture: The Wonder, Beauty, and Science of Underground Nests (Princeton University Press).
- Insect sociometry: Coined the term "insect sociometry" in 1991 to describe the detailed physical and numerical description of social insect colonies, which he views as superorganisms.
- Chemical defenses of tenebrionid beetles: Conducted a large comparative study of the chemical defense systems of tenebrionid beetles, including analysis of secretion chemistry, gland anatomy, and defensive behavior.
- Namibian fairy circles: Studied the mysterious barren circular patches in the Namib Desert, publishing research on their life cycle, lifespan, and potential causes.
- Arboreal ant ecology: Studied Crematogaster ashmeadi, the primary food source of the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker.
Books
- The Fire Ants (Belknap Press/Harvard University Press, 2006) — A comprehensive volume on fire ant biology, nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 2007. E.O. Wilson wrote in the foreword that "Tschinkel has delivered a masterpiece."
- Ant Architecture: The Wonder, Beauty, and Science of Underground Nests (Princeton University Press, 2021) — An account of his research on ant nest architecture.
Awards and Recognition
- Elected Fellow of the Entomological Society of America (2012)
- Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2020)
- Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor at Florida State University
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program awardee
- Served as President of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects (IUSSI) World Congress (2006)
- Co-founder of the environmental advocacy group Friends of the Apalachicola National Forest
Additional Activities
Tschinkel is an accomplished woodworker and botanical artist. His metal casts of ant nests have been displayed in museums in the United States, Canada, France, and Hong Kong. He has written essays on education and public school performance. He maintains an active research program in Florida's Apalachicola National Forest and Namibia, even after retiring from teaching in 2013.
