KEEPING ANTS IN THE ANTHILL: SEVEN EDITIONS OF THE FORMIGAS DO BRASIL COURSE

The states of Acre, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Minas Gerais have served as official venues for the course offered by the Formigas do Brasil project in its teaching component. So far, five of the six Brazilian biomes have been represented: Amazon, Caatinga, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, and Pantanal. With a mean of 23 institutions involved per edition, this introductory course to myrmecology has selected more than 270 participants for an in-depth learning experience primarily focused on collection techniques and sampling design, sample processing, scientific dissemination, morphology, taxonomy and systematics, ecology, behavior, biological control, patterns of diversity, and distribution of ants. Here, structured interviews and descriptive statistics are used to explore participants’ perceptions of the course in terms of its impact on their training, career, network, learning experiences, and interests related to this initiative. The role of the course as a pivotal moment in early career students pursuing a future in myrmecology is highlighted.