Dr. Sofia Bouchebti doesn’t flinch when she sees a cockroach. On the contrary, she perceives a world of evolutionary secrets in every twitch of an antenna. As a senior lecturer in behavioral ecology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Bouchebti studies how nutrition affects social behavior in insects, particularly cockroaches. She conducts her research in one of the world’s most unique living laboratories: the Israeli desert.
“I have always loved insects, for as long as I can remember,” she says with a smile. “When I was a child, I spent hours outside watching ants walk in a line. Later, I learned about the waggle dance of honeybees, and I was amazed that a bee could tell others where to find flowers just by dancing.”
That childhood curiosity developed into a career. Born and raised in Morocco, Bouchebti moved to France for her university studies, earning a master’s degree in animal behavior and a PhD in behavioral ecology. Eventually, she went to Israel for postdoctoral work and decided to stay. “I like it here very much,” she says. “I feel really lucky to have found a home at Ben-Gurion University.”
Her lab, recently established in the heart of the Negev, is full of questions about how animals evolve socially. Instead of focusing on the typical charismatic species, such as bees, wolves, and dolphins, Bouchebti studies a more controversial subject: cockroaches.
“There are over 4,600 species of cockroaches,” she explains, “and they exhibit all levels of social behavior. Some live alone, some in small family groups, and others in large, highly social colonies. This diversity makes them an excellent model for studying how social behavior evolves.”
She adds that cockroaches are also great for laboratory research: “They’re insects. They’re easy to care for, and we don’t need to drive hours to find them. In Midreshet Ben-Gurion, I can walk outside, and my research subjects are right there.”
Her work centers around a straightforward question: how does diet influence social behavior? “I study how different nutrients impact insect physiology and behavior,” she says. “The overall goal is to understand how and why animals, including humans, evolved to live socially. I believe nutrition, along with factors like climate, plays a significant role.”
It’s a question that strikes at the core of evolutionary biology, a challenge Bouchebti, enthusiastically takes on. “Every day, I’m surprised,” she says. “You think you know what to expect from an experiment, and then the results go in a totally different direction. That’s what makes it exciting – it forces you to think in new ways.”
Beyond the lab, Bouchebti helps dispel misconceptions. “People hate cockroaches,” she admits. “They hear the word and grab bug spray. However, the truth is that only 25 out of over 4,600 known species are considered pests. The rest are just as fascinating as honeybees.”
She describes cockroach species that shimmer in unexpected colors – blue, green, even yellow. “They can be beautiful,” she insists. “They display complex behavior, and they’re ecologically important. I want people to see them differently.”
She shares this sense of wonder with her students. Although her lab remains small, currently hosting just one master’s student, with more expected next semester, she’s eager to grow. “I’m recruiting now,” she says. “The support at Ben-Gurion University has been incredible. I didn’t know much about the university before I joined, but I’ve been so impressed.”
That support proved vital during difficult times. Bouchebti, like other researchers in Israel, has had to work through periods of conflict. “During the recent escalation, my family and friends abroad were worried,” she recalls. “I was in Midreshet Ben-Gurion, which felt quite safe compared to other areas, and since I had no experiments scheduled, I stayed home and followed the university’s guidelines.”
Even outside of crises, Bouchebti doesn’t romanticize academic life. “Not a single day goes exactly as planned,” she says with a laugh. “Technical issues, failed experiments, rejected grants – these are common. But the ongoing challenge – that’s what sparks our creativity.”
For Bouchebti, this creativity is rooted in both scientific discipline and a sense of purpose. She aims for her research to deepen understanding of social evolution, but also hopes to shift public perceptions of insects. “I want people to stop finding cockroaches disgusting,” she says. “They’re fascinating creatures. If we look beyond our fears, we might discover something extraordinary from them.”
That shift in perception, she believes, starts with education and exposure. “The more we understand these animals, the less we fear them,” she says. “And maybe we can start to appreciate the hidden beauty of the natural world even in its least glamorous corners.”
As Bouchebti builds her lab and continues her research, her work stands as a reminder that science often thrives where few others think to look, and that sometimes, the key to understanding ourselves lies in the least expected places.
This article was written in collaboration with Ben Gurion University of the Negev.