Meet Nadhif, the Young Entomologist Who Founded the Indonesian Ant Colony

A deep interest in a field often stems from a simple childhood moment. This was the case for Azka Nadhif Keandra, a 15-year-old now widely known as a ‘Young Entomologist’ and founder of the Indonesian Ant Colony community. Nadhif’s closeness to the insect world began when he was just four years old, after he accidentally discovered a hairy caterpillar on a rose bush in his home garden. Rather than feeling afraid, his curiosity soared. “I tried to raise the caterpillar, following tutorials on social media, and it successfully grew into a moth. So from then on, I liked insects,” Nadhif said when met in the Grogol area of West Jakarta on Saturday (20/6). His journey was not always smooth. Initially, his parents were shocked and worried about his safety, particularly the risk of itching from touching caterpillars. However, through his persistence, Nadhif managed to convince them that not all caterpillars are dangerous. Now, full support flows from his family, and senior insect experts have given him a special nickname. “I am called a young entomologist because many friends in the community who already hold entomology degrees see me as a successor,” explained the high school student. He has a big dream to pursue formal studies in entomology in the future. Nadhif is currently participating actively in the Explore The Jungle event held at Mal Ciputra Jakarta. In this educational recreational exhibition, he is showcasing dozens of insect collections from his own breeding efforts. In order to develop local species that have never been bred in Indonesia, Nadhif has even adopted breeding methods from abroad. He does not hesitate to spend his own money to acquire rare specimens, such as the Hercules Beetle from Japan, for further study. The difficulty of finding information about insects as a child drove Nadhif to establish the Indonesian Ant Colony. He dedicated this platform as an educational hub for children and teenagers with similar interests. “The inspiration for founding this community came because it was very hard to find information about insects on the internet back then. So I wanted to create a community where kids can learn,” he said. Starting from independent steps, the community now continues to grow and embraces many peers to become more concerned about insect conservation in their surrounding environment.