About Me

My name Is Josiah Kilburn. I am a high school student in colorado. I am a macro photographer and entomologist. I have various interests, including taxonomy, theology, ecology, fencing, hiking, black lighting. I started and was president of 2 entomology clubs (LHS Entomology Club, and MSU Entomology Club), and I aspire to become a myrmecologist (ant scientist) when I graduate and photograph insects around the world. I am an avid ant keeper and am constantly collecting ants everywhere I go and have been collecting insects since I was 5 years old. I have designed most of my insect related macro gear, including my diffuser and bounce flash...

As an ameture myrmecologist, I follow many avenues to familiarize myself with the science. I am one of the youngest active members of the Entomological Society of America, and am in contact with many experts to help me answer any questions I may have about entomology. I have visited 4 entomology collections around the united states, and have met many experts in myrmecology. I also have been given an ant wiki contributor account and I sometimes contribute to research there. In the future I wish to study one of the most understudied ant family, Proceratiinae, because those ants are some of my favorites. When it comes to the study of myrmecology, I don't leave any area unexplored. I am constantly learning more about the science, including but not limited to; phylogenetics, taxonomy, paleo myrmecology, photography, and behavioral ecology of ants.

Though insects are my main passion I have other passions as well, mainly Decentralized systems and cryptocurrency. I also am very intrigued by Data science, and am VERY proficient with google sheets (to the point where I can run complicated array simulations, and program API based scripts, etc...), and I use them to fuel and support my passions. I also try to combine my passions whenever possible, right now I am working on a way to tokenize the ant market.

As you might have determined from the paragraphs above, insects are my passion and I spend a lot of time with them. We often overlook insects and how they affect our everyday lives. I want to make people aware of them with my work. We as humans have given almost all insects a ridiculous stigma as being useless pest, when in reality they are one of the most important animal groups in the tree of life. Insects fill so many niches that otherwise wouldn't happen without them, they pollinate our crops, inspire our inventions, networks, optimization, and are even used in medical research. Without them we simply cannot survive...