Team

Permanent staff

Sabrina Amador

Principal investigator

Ecological and social interactions affect the behavioral responses of organisms. Ant societies in obligate mutualisms with plants are a fascinating pairing for studying coevolution. The plant and the needs it creates on the ant society shapes the behavior and morphology of society members

Cortés-Romay, R., & Amador-Vargas, S. 2024. Horse-hair fungus used in bird nests alters the behaviour of acacia ants. Animal Behaviour, 216, 73-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2024.07.019

Amador Vargas, S. 2024. A potential wintering site of Swainson’s Hawks (Buteo swainsoni) in the North Pacific plains of Costa Rica with notes on their behavior. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 135(4), 575-581. https://doi.org/10.1676/23-00026

Farji-Brener, A., & Amador-Vargas, S. 2023. Collateral damage: has the COVID-19 pandemic more strongly impacted medical research than other scientific areas?. PeerJ, 11, e15436. doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15436

Amador-Vargas, S., González, Y., Guevara, M., & Gijsman, F. 2022. Scaling of indirect defences in Central American swollen-thorn acacias. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 38(6), 386-392. doi.org/10.1017/S0266467422000293

Amador‐Vargas, S., & Porras‐Brenes, K. 2022. Three neotropical bird species shift nest‐site preferences from swollen‐thorn acacias to other sites in human‐altered habitats. Biotropica, 54(4), 1071-1080. doi.org/10.1111/btp.13138

Amador-Vargas, S., & Wcislo, W. T. 2021. Nestmate interference in acacia ants varies with colony size and task specialization. Animal Behaviour, 181, 151-163. doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.08.026

Gijsman, F., Gonzalez Y., Guevara M. & Amador-Vargas S. 2021. Short-term plasticity and variation in acacia ant-rewards under different conditions of ant occupancy and herbivory. The Science of Nature. 108(4):31. doi 10.1007/s00114-021-01738-w.

Amador‐Vargas, S., Orribarra, V. S., Portugal‐Loayza, A., & Fernández‐Marín, H. 2021. Association patterns of swollen‐thorn acacias with three ant species and other organisms in a dry forest of Panama. Biotropica, 53(2), 560-566. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12899

Farji-Brener A.G.& Amador-Vargas, S. 2020. Plasticity in extended phenotypes: how the antlion Myrmeleon crudelis adjusts the pit traps depending on biotic and abiotic conditions. Israel Journal of Ecology and Evolution 66: 41–47.

Amador-Vargas, S., Dyer J., Arnold N., Cavanaugh L. & Sánchez E. 2019. Acacia trees with parasitic ants have fewer and less spacious spines than trees with mutualistic ants. Naturwissenschaften 107:3. 

Amador-Vargas, S. & Mueller, U.G. 2017. Ability to reorient is weakly correlated with central-place versus non-central-place foraging in acacia ants. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 71: 43.

Amador-Vargas, S., W. Gronenberg, W. Wcislo, U. G. Mueller. 2015. Specialization and group size: brain and behavioural correlates of colony size in ants lacking morphological castes. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 282: 2014-2502.

Kardish, M.R., Mueller, U.G., Amador-Vargas, S., Dietrich, E.I., Ma, R., Barrett, B., Fang, C.-C., 2015. Blind trust in unblinded observation in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 3: 51.

Amador-Vargas, S., M. Dominguez, G. León, B. Maldonado, J. Murillo, and G. L. Vides. 2014. Leaf-folding response of a sensitive plant shows context-dependent behavioral plasticity. Plant Ecology 215: 1445–1454.

Yorlenis Y. González

Research Technician

Yorlenis has a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, with a specialty in Botany at the University of Panama. She has been working in the lab since 2019, where she assists in the organization, design, coordination and execution of research projects on the behavior of Neotropical arthropods. She conducts field and laboratory observations and watches over equipment, materials, and everything related to laboratory logistics. She is interested in biodiversity, ecological associations and in learning new ways of doing science every day, in a practical way and that others can easily understand.

Current lab members

Rowan McGinley

Postdoctoral fellow

Rowan is interested in how animals interact with each other and their environment. He obtained his PhD at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, where he studied jumping spiders and the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that mediate their behaviour during male-male contests. He then headed to the USA for postdoctoral research examining the evolution of multi-modal communication in wolf spiders and how heterogenous substrates shape the diversity of vibrational signals used by plant dwelling insects. At STRI, Rowan is returning to work on wolf spiders to further examine how variation in the environment affects the transmission of animal signals, including the behaviour of signallers and receivers. In addition to communication, Rowan has interests in natural history and sexual selection.

McGinley, R. H., Starrett, J., Bond, J. E., & Hebets, E. A. 2023. Light environment interacts with visual displays in a species-specific manner in multimodal-signaling wolf spiders. The American Naturalist, 201(3), 472-490. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/722830

​Starrett, J., McGinley, R. H., Hebets, E. A., & Bond, J. E. 2022. Phylogeny and secondary sexual trait evolution in Schizocosa wolf spiders (Araneae, Lycosidae) shows evidence for multiple gains and losses of ornamentation and species delimitation uncertainty. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 169, 107397. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107397

McGinley, R. H. 2022. Fighting strategies and mechanisms behind contest resolution in the jumping spider Servaea incana (Doctoral dissertation, Macquarie University).

​Starrett, J., Bui, A., McGinley, R.H., Hebets, E. A., & Bond, J. E. 2021. Phylogenomic variation at the population-species interface and assessment of gigantism in a model wolf spider genus (Lycosidae, Schizocosa). Insect Systematics and Diversity, 5(5), 5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/isd/ixab016

Rosenthal, M. F., Hebets, E. A., McGinley, R.H., Raiza, C., Starrett, J., Yan, L., & Elias, D. O. 2021. Exploring a novel substrate‐borne vibratory signal in the wolf spider Schizocosa floridana. Ethology, 127(2), 135-144. DOI: 10.1111/eth.13114

Hebets, E. A., Bern, M., McGinley, R. H., Roberts, A., Kershenbaum, A., Starrett, J., & Bond, J. E. (2021). Sister species diverge in modality‐specific courtship signal form and function. Ecology and evolution, 11(2), 852-871. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7089

Laura Segura

Postdoctoral fellow

Laura is a postdoctoral research fellow from Costa Rica. She earned her Bachelor and Licenciatura degrees at Universidad de Costa Rica, where she worked in projects related to sexual selection, behavior and biogeography of arachnids. Laura then completed her a PhD at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA, focusing on behavior and ecophysiology of pseudoscorpions. Laura is interested in continuing doing research focused on physiological and behavioral responses of arthropods to environmental changes. At STRI, she is developing a project understanding how abiotic and biotic factors can affect the phoretic (i.e. hitch-hiking) behavior of pseudoscorpions.  Additionally, Laura’s interests also involve scientific outreach and education.

Segura-Hernández, L., E.A. Hebets, K. L. Montooth & J.P. DeLong. 2024. How hot is too hot? Metabolic responses to temperature across life stages of a small ectotherm. Integrative and Comparative Biology. DOI: 10.1093/icb/icae093

Kemppinen, J. (…), L. Segura-Hernandez, (…). 2024. Microclimate, an inseparable part of global ecology and biogeography. Global Ecology and Biogeography. DOI: 10.1111/geb.13834

Barrantes G., L. Segura-Hernández & D. Solano-Brenes. 2023. A novel prey capture strategy in pirate spiders (Araneae: Mimetidae). Animal Behavior. DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.07.001

Solano-Brenes, D., L. Segura-Hernández & G. Barrantes. 2022. Description of the courtship and mating behaviours of the wall spider Oecobius concinnus (Oecobiidae). Arachnology. DOI: 10.13156/arac.2022.19.3.597

Segura-Hernández, L., G. Barrantes, E. Chacón-Madrigal & A. García-Rodríguez. 2022. Climatic data provide clues on the geographic origin of a spider invasion in the Americas. Biological Invasions. DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02904-5

Mammola, S., J. Malumbres-Olarte, V. Arabesky, D. (…), L. Segura-Hernández, L. Sentenská, G. Uhl, L. Walker, C. M. Warui, K. Wiśniewski, A. Zamani, A. Chuang & C. Scott. 2022.  The global spread of (mis)information on spiders. Current Biology, 32, 871-873.

Mammola, S., J. Malumbres-Olarte, V. Arabesky, (…), L. Segura-Hernández, L. Sentenská, G. Uhl, L. Walker, C. M. Warui, K. Wiśniewski, A. Zamani, C. Scott,A. Chuang. 2022. An expert-curated global database of online newspaper articles on spiders and spider bites. Scientific Data. DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01197-6

Current Interns, Short-term Fellows and Volunteers

  • Martín Concepción – Universidad de Panamá. Intern. Project: “Understanding the transition of Pseudomyrmex ants from arboreal free-living omnivores to plant mutualists from the inside out ”. 2025
  • Ian Abreu – Universidad de Puerto Rico, en Cayey. Intern. Project: “Spider Communication in a Variable World”. Mentor: Rowan McGinley. 2025-2026.
  • Amalia Ceballos – Universidade de São Paulo. Fellow. Proposal: “Do cuticular hydrocarbons promote mutualistic behavior between ants and butterflies?”. Awarded. 2024-2025.
  • Solmaira Acosta – Universidad de Panamá. Volunteer. Project: “Understanding the transition of Pseudomyrmex ants from arboreal free-living omnivores to plant mutualists from the inside out ”. 2025-2026.

Collaborators

Dumas Gálvez

galvezd@si.edu

He is working on a project aimed at discovering the effects of forest perturbation on the immune competence of the neotropical ant Ectatomma ruidum. Other lines of interest include conservation, predator – prey interactions, ecology and evolution of arachnids, covering aspects of foraging strategies, defense against predators and pathogens, competition, among others. He is also interested in the coloration of invertebrates in general, functionality and mechanism of color production. Besides, he works on predator-prey interactions, using agoutis and ocelots as a system. Finally, his previous research experiences also covered subjects in ornithology, herpetology and animal-plant interactions. He is curently staff in La Estación Científica Coiba (ECC), Panamá.

Fernando Soley

fgsoley@gmail.com

He is interested in the behavioral adaptations of arthropods and in how behavior affects evolution. He has explored these adaptations mainly through predator-prey interactions and foraging behavior. He has a general interest in insects and spiders, and his past research has focused on spider-eating assassin bugs. He is doing a comparative analysis of the behavior of assassin bugs in Costa Rica and Australia. Finally, he is also interested in the cognitive and sensory capacities of invertebrates and in how these relate to their ecological challenges.

Rosannette Quesada

rquesada@alumni.usp.br

She earned her PhD in behavioral ecology at the Instituto de Biociências of the Universidade de São Paulo, researching sexual selection and parental care using Opiliones. She is deeply interested in animal behavior and science communication. Currently, she is working at Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Department STRI-Advancement-Communication.

You can find more about harvestmen arachnides here: https://www.instagram.com/opilio_tracker/?hl=es

Fellows

  • Macarena Gonzalez – Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable. Fellow. Proposal: “Vibratory signals during sexual encounters of wolf spiders: joining efforts to unveil knowledge southwards”. Awarded. 2025
  • Daniel Murcia – Universidad de Panamá. Project: “Understanding the transition of Pseudomyrmex ants from arboreal free-living omnivores to plant mutualists from the inside out ”. 2024.
  • Awanti Shastri (EEUU, The George Washington University). Proposal: “Behavioral response of arboreal acacia ants to climate warming”. Awarded. 2024.
  • Rhayza Cortés (Bolivia, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés). Proposal:“Inclusión de hongos Marasmius en los nidos de aves como un potencial mecanismo para repeler hormigas”. Awarded. 2023.
  • Rowan French (Canada, University of Toronto, Canada). Proposal: “Exaggerated male traits and brain size in a sexually dimorphic insect”. Awarded. 2022.
  • Katherine Porras (Costa Rica, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica). Proposal: “Orientation challenges while carrying oversized loads in leafcutter ants”. Awarded. 2022.

Interns

  • Joel Trejos – Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí. Intern. Project: “Understanding the transition of Pseudomyrmex ants from arboreal free-living omnivores to plant mutualists from the inside out ”. 2025.
  • Laura Peñafiel – Universidad del Magdalena. Colombia. Intern. Project: “Understanding the transition of Pseudomyrmex ants from arboreal free-living omnivores to plant mutualists from the inside out ”. 2025.
  • Owen Blacker – University of Massachusetts Amherst. Intern. Project: “Spider Communication in a Variable World”. Mentor: Rowan McGinley. 2024-2025.
  • Sarah Shamash – Universidad George Washington, Washington, DC. Intern. Project: “Comportamiento, morfología y toma de decisiones en hormigas”. 2024-2025.
  • Ryan Snyder – Butler University. United State. Intern. Project: “Spider Communication in a Variable World”. Mentor: Rowan McGinley. 2025.
  • Carola Copa – Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Bolivia. Intern. Project: “Hitch-hiking in a changing environment: Understanding effects of microclimate change on animal-mediated dispersal behavior”. Mentora: Laura Segura. 2025.
  • Solmaira Acosta – Universidad de Panamá. Intern. Project: “Understanding the transition of Pseudomyrmex ants from arboreal free-living omnivores to plant mutualists from the inside out ”. 2024-2025.
  • Laura Bedoya – Pontifica Universidad Católica del Ecuador. Intern. Project: “Spider Communication in a Variable World”. Mentor: Rowan McGinley. 2025.
  • Mariela Orozco – Universidad Central del Ecuador. Intern. Project: “Spider Communication in a Variable World”. Mentor: Rowan McGinley. 2024.
  • Sayith Padilla – Universidad de Panamá. Intern. Project: “Spider Communication in a Variable World”. Mentor: Rowan McGinley. 2024, 2025.
  • Maria del Pilar Moreno – Universidad del Valle, Colombia.. Intern. Project: “Comportamiento, morfología y toma de decisiones en hormigas”. 2024.
  • Maikol Guevara – Universidad de Panamá. Intern. Project: “Building structures to prevent disasters: lessons from social insects”. 2024.
  • Cristian Molina – University of Chicago. Intern. Project: “Pollination of swollen-thorn acacias”. 2023-2024.
  • Alex Wcislo – Carleton College. Intern. Project: “Spider Communication in a Variable World”. Mentor: Rowan McGinley. 2024.
  • Lucas Wcislo – Carleton College. Intern. Project: “Spider Communication in a Variable World”. Mentor: Rowan McGinley. 2024.
  • Aline Genoud – University of Zürich. Intern. Project: “Aves que anidan en plantas defendidas por hormigas”. 2024.
  • Alejandra Tapias – Universidad Javeriana, Colombia. Intern. Project: “Spider Communication in a Variable World”. Mentor: Rowan McGinley. 2024.
  • Jonah Naugle – The Pennsylvania State University. Intern. Project: “The predatory behaviors of jumping spiders hunting acacia ants”. 2024.
  • Emmy Zeilstra – Aeres University of Applied Science. Intern. Project: “Pollination of swollen-thorn acacias”. 2024.
  • Alice Bossard – École Normale Supérieure de Paris, PSL University. Intern. Project: “Interactions between ants and fungal rhizomorphs used in bird nests”. 2024.
  • Jane Aguilar – Universidad de Panamá. Intern. Project: “Comportamiento, morfología y toma de decisiones en hormigas”. 2023-2024.
  • Joel Trejos – Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí. Intern. Project: “Comportamiento, morfología y toma de decisiones en hormigas”. 2023.
  • Madison Roger – California State University. Intern. Project: “Illumination of behavior leading to host exploitation by a context-dependent mutualist”. 2023.
  • Ana Martínez – Universidad de Panamá. Intern. Project: “Illumination of behavior leading to host exploitation by a context-dependent mutualist”. 2023.
  • Akansha Goswami – Project: “Environmental disturbance and its effect on the immune competence of an insect: respirometry”. 2023.
  • Daniel Murcia – Universidad de Panamá. Inter. Project: “Environmental disturbance and its effect on the immune competence of an insect: respirometry”. 2022-2023.
  • Grisel Núñez – Universidad de Panamá. Intern. Project: “Building structures to prevent disasters: lessons from social insects”. 2022.
  • Cristhian Solís – Universidad de Panamá. Intern. Project: “Building structures to prevent disasters: lessons from social insects”. 2022.
  • Joel Trejos – Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí. Intern. Project: “Building structures to prevent disasters: lessons from social insects”. 2022-2023.
  • Leylanie Castro – Universidad de Panamá. Intern. Project: “Orientation challenges while carrying oversized loads in leafcutter ants”. 2022.
  • Jane Aguilar – Universidad de Panamá. Intern. Project: “Aves que anidan en plantas defendidas por hormigas”. 2022.
  • Katherine Bonilla – Universidad de Costa Rica. Intern. Project: “Aves que anidan en plantas defendidas por hormigas”. 2022.
  • Adolfo Alba – Universidad de Panamá. Intern. Project: “Environmental disturbance and its effect on the immune competence of an insect: respirometry”. 2022.
  • Cesar Amaya – Universidad de Panamá. Intern. Project: “Comportamiento, morfología y toma de decisiones en hormigas”. 2022.
  • Katherine Porras – Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica. Intern. Project: “Comportamiento, morfología y toma de decisiones en hormigas”. 2021.
  • Eleodoro Bonilla – Universidad de Panamá. Intern. Project: “Environmental disturbance and its effect on the immune competence of an insect: respirometry”. 2021-2022.
  • Brenda Virola – Universidad de Panamá. Intern. Project: “Environmental disturbance and its effect on the immune competence of an insect: respirometry”. 2021-2022.
  • Carlos Vega – Universidad de Panamá. Intern. Project: “Environmental disturbance and its effect on the immune competence of an insect: respirometry”. 2021-2022.
  • Jorge de la O Castro – Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica. Intern. Project: “Comportamiento, morfología y toma de decisiones en hormigas”. 2021.
  • Finote Gijsman – University of Northwestern, Evanston, Illinois. Intern. Project: “Comportamiento, morfología y toma de decisiones en hormigas”. 2019 .
  • Maikol Guevara – Universidad de Panamá. Intern. Project: “Comportamiento, morfología y toma de decisiones en hormigas”. 2019.
  • Aaron de Veres – University of Edinburgh. Intern. Project: “Comportamiento, morfología y toma de decisiones en hormigas”. 2019.
  • Paula Palacios – Universidad Del Valle (Colombia). Intern. Project: “Comportamiento, morfología y toma de decisiones en hormigas”. 2019.
  • Vivian Orribarra – Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí. Intern. Project: “Comportamiento, morfología y toma de decisiones en hormigas”. 2019 & 2021.