Research-based learning is among the highest impact experiences college students can have. For the last four years, undergraduate students from the Honors Program enrolled in the introductory-level biology lab course at Utah State University have been filling gaps in the scientific community???s knowledge about the abiotic and biotic factors that affect a mutualistic relationship between caterpillars and ants. Sugar-consuming-ants protect caterpillars from predators and parasitoids, and the caterpillars feed the ants honeydew from a dorsal organ and communicate with them through skin chemicals (cuticular hydrocarbons or CHCs). Students begin by learning about the scientific method, as well as developing collaboration and communication skills, through instructional videos and standalone experiments, which they then apply to this 7-week research experience. They work in small groups to make general observations about the study system, search and read the published literature, build off of what previous students have learned, and write a short research proposal. One of the proposed experiments is chosen for the class. Students use caterpillars hatched from hibernating eggs collected from multiple Lycaeides populations the previous summer by scientists. A small support team rears the caterpillars until they have developed their ant-tending organs. This ensures students have adequate sample sizes for data analysis. Through these experiments, the students have shown that Lycaeides population affects the amount of attention received by ants, and that different ant species interact with the caterpillars to different extents. The project concludes when students individually produce and record a 5-minute ???lightning talk???. This classroom research filters into a larger project about the long-term effects of natural selection in wild Lycaeides populations, funded by an NSF CAREER grant. The student discoveries have indicated that Lycaeides ant-tending traits are good candidates for studying rapid evolution. Students have felt this experience prepares them for their future STEM careers.
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