UAAT International Young Visiting Scholar Program
Hiroyuki Shimoji
Associate Professor
Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus
Email: shimojih@cs.u-ryukyu.ac.jp ; toireikitaimitai@gmail.com
Webpage: https://researchmap.jp/SMJHRYK?lang=en
Host Scholar: Shu-Ping Tseng, Assistant Professor Hosting Department/Institution: Department of Entomology, NTU
Biography:
I was born in Okinawa, Japan in 1982 and received my Ph.D. from kagoshima University in 2012 under the supervision of Professor Kazuki Tsuji. From 2012 to 2013, I conducted research at the University of the Ryukyus as a JSPS Research Fellow (DC2). I then served as a JSPS Research Fellow (PD) at Hokkaido University from 2013 to 2016, working under the supervision of Professor Toru Miura. In 2017, I joined Kwansei Gakuin University as an Assistant Professor, and since 2023 I have been serving as an Associate Professor in Unibersity of the Ryukyus. Throughout my career, my research has consistently focused on social insects and enjoyed study with interdisciplinary collaborators.
Lecture [1]:
Time: September 5, 2025, 14:20–15:10
Venue:Rm.614, MK Innovation Hall (學新館614室)
Title: Introduction to collective behavior in ants: analysis of cooperative transport using UMAtracker
Abstract:
Ants, among the largest groups of social insects, exhibit extraordinary traits that allow them to thrive in diverse ecosystems. Their societies are composed of queens and workers—genetically related individuals—who specialize in different roles through division of labor, coordinated by sophisticated forms of communication. These interactions lead to diverse collective behaviors, including group foraging and nest relocation, which require precise cooperation among colony members. In this class, I will introduce collective behaviors in ants, focusing first on cooperative transport, in which multiple foragers work together to move a single large prey item. In the second part, we will use a simple tracking application, UMAtracker, to analyze the movement patterns of large baits and evaluate the degree of organization in ant transport teams. The aim of this class is for students to foster a deeper understanding of how ant societies operate, and to experience the excitement of studying social insects from both ecological and evolutionary perspectives.
Lecture [2]:
Time: September 23, 2025, 11:20–12:10
Venue:Rm.614, MK Innovation Hall (學新館614室)
Title: A worker-specific gut-symbiont embedded in social life in an ant
Abstract:
The hallmark of eusocial insects, such as ants, is the division of labor among group members. A colony consists of one or a few reproductive individuals that monopolize reproduction, and numerous non-reproductive individuals that perform other tasks. For example, young workers act as “nurses,” caring for brood and eggs within the nest, while older workers become “foragers,” engaging in foraging and nest defense outside the nest. In addition to this social system, ants establish symbiotic relationships with various organisms. Among them, bacterial symbionts play essential roles in maintaining the colony by providing benefits such as nutrition. Recently, we discovered a worker-specific gut symbiont, hereafter referred to as the firmicute symbiont, in Diacamma cf. indicum from Japan. In this talk, I will present a series of research findings on the symbiotic relationship between D. cf. indicum and the firmicute symbiont, focusing on its links to the colony life cycle and division of labor. I will also discuss the relationship between nest hygiene behavior (social immunity) and the maintenance of the firmicute symbiont.