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Yang, Chin-Cheng “Scotty”

Directory Profile for Chin-Cheng "Scotty" Yang

Associate Professor
Office:  
Rollins Facility 101B
Email:  
Phone:  
(979) 321-5785
Urban Entomology Website

Education

Undergraduate Education
B.S. Entomology, National Taiwan University
Graduate Education
Ph.D. Entomology, National Taiwan University

Areas of Expertise

  • Urban Entomology
  • Invasion Species Ecology/Genetics/Behavior
  • Sociobiology
  • Environmental DNA

Professional Summary

Chin-Cheng “Scotty” Yang, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University. His research program focuses on advancing the fundamental understanding of urban and invasive pests to inform more effective, practical, and scalable management strategies. Dr. Yang’s work centers on social insect pest systems in urban and structural environments, particularly ants, using them as model organisms to uncover how behavior, genetics, colony organization, and microbes shape infestation patterns and control outcomes. His laboratory also explores the application of environmental DNA (eDNA) for invasive species detection and has developed the “antDNA” biosurveillance platform, which leverages ants as eDNA samplers for early detection. Dr. Yang has secured more than $3.9 million in research funding from federal, state, university, and industry partners and has authored or co-authored more than 70 peer-reviewed publications. He also contributed to several book chapters and industry articles, and delivered over 90 invited presentations at universities, government agencies, and national and international industry and scientific meetings. His program bridges research, industry, and regulatory communities to advance science-based urban pest management and strengthen biosecurity preparedness.

Selected Publications

  • Lin WJ, Liu FLC, Huang XY, Del Pozo-Valdivia A, Leskey TC, Yang CCS. 2025. What you eat is what we need: Using ants to detect spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) DNA. Pest Management Science 81, 4571-4578. https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.8814
  • Lin WJ1, Hsu PW13, Vargo E, Yang CCS. 2025. Microbial, genetic, and urban drivers of ant invasions. Current Opinion in Insect Science 72, 101417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2025.101417
  • Liu FLC, Lin WJ, McMillan L, Yang CCS. 2025. Fire ants exhibit self-medication but lack preventive social immunity against a viral pathogen. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 211, 108339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2025.108339
  • Hsu FC, Hsu GC, Lin CC, Ho CK, Yang CCS. 2024. Free ride without raising a thumb: A citizen science project reveals the pattern of active ant hitchhiking on vehicles and its ecological implications. Ecological Entomology 49, 739-743. https://doi.org/10.1111/een.13336
  • Tseng SP, Darras H, Hsu PW, Yoshimura T, Lee CY, Wetterer JK, Keller L, Yang CCS. 2023. Global genetic analysis reveals the putative native range and widespread double-clonal reproduction system in the invasive longhorn crazy ant. Molecular Ecology 32, 1021-1033. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.16827
  • Lee CY, Yang CCS. 2022. Biology, ecology, and management of the invasive longlegged ant, Anoplolepis gracilipes. Annual Review of Entomology 67, 43-63. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ento-033121-102332

Publications