Amalia Victoria Ceballos González
NOMIS Fellow
Organization
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI)
About Amalia Victoria Ceballos González
Amalia Victoria Ceballos González is a NOMIS–STRI Fellow at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama.
She is a Colombian biologist who earned her Licenciatura in Biology from Universidad Pedagógica Nacional. During her master’s studies at the Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil, González investigated chemical communication in tritrophic interactions among plants, caterpillars and parasitoid wasps. She completed her PhD at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, where she studied the natural history, behavior and chemical ecology of ant–caterpillar interactions.
Beyond her research, Ceballos González is passionate about science education and outreach. She has taught biology in remote communities across Colombia, developing insect-based educational projects that foster curiosity and appreciation for biodiversity. She has also participated in science communication initiatives in both Colombia and Brazil, promoting public engagement with science.
Research focus
During a previous short-term fellowship at STRI, Ceballos González investigated the role of cuticular hydrocarbons in mediating interactions between myrmecophilous caterpillars and ants. By characterizing the chemical profiles of caterpillars, ants and host plants, and combining chemical analyses with field behavioral experiments, she explored how chemical signals influence ant aggression and cooperation.
As a NOMIS–STRI Fellow, Ceballos González is now investigating how multimodal communication evolves in ant–caterpillar interactions. Her research focuses on how different communication modalities, including chemical and vibratory signals, work together to mediate interactions between caterpillars and ants, and how these signaling systems differ among species that vary in their degree of specialization. Using comparative and experimental approaches, she is examining how communication has evolved across the transition from non-myrmecophilous caterpillars to generalist and specialist ant-associated species.
