Bert Hölldobler is a sociobiologist and an evolutionary biologist who studies theevolution of social organization in insects. He and his research team explore the behavioral mechanisms that underlie communication and division of labor systems in ant societies. They also investigate how separate ant colonies communicate with one another in order to regulate territories.

The team approaches these studies with a broad comparative research strategy — studying several species that vary in genetic relation to find how their behavioral differences are linked to differences in genetics. They focus on multi-modal communication, including complex chemical signals, vibration, and touching.

Hölldobler also co-authored The Superorganism with Edward O. Wilson. This volume explores how insect societies can be viewed as superorganisms and what this implies for the theory of social evolution.