Ants are among the most hated insects on Earth, and bees are among the most beloved. But they have a lot in common. Most are social animals who live in vast hives of workers who must constantly communicate with each other to gather food, care for young, and build their nests. But how do they communicate? That's where Neil Tsutsui's work comes in.

Neil is the Michelbacher Chair of Systematic Entomology at UC Berkeley. He runs a lab that researches ants and bees -- how they communicate, why they behave the ways they do, their ecology, and their evolution. He works in both the field and the lab, studying chemical communication, behaviors, and the genetics of individuals, populations, and species. Neil has experimented with affecting ant behavior using the insects' own chemical signals. He just completed a study showing that California honey bees have recently undergone profound genetic transformations.

Join Ars Technica editor Annalee Newitz in conversation with Neil at the next Ars Technica Live on May 9 at Eli's Mile High Club in Oakland. There will be plenty of time for audience questions, too. Doors are at 7 PM and the event starts at 7:30. Tickets are free.

Neil is also on the East Bay Regional Parks Advisory Committee, and works on Backyard Biodiversity, a group that runs citizen science projects to help people "uncover local biodiversity." Backyard Biodiversity projects have included asking people to indentify how many species of insects died in their backyard pools, as well as testing which kinds of "natural deterrents" like cinnamon can stop an ant invasion.

Annalee is Ars Technica's Editor-at-Large. Ars Technica Live is a monthly series spotlighting people who are working at the cutting edge of technology, science, and culture. It's held the second Wednesday of every month at Eli's.