Collaborate Disseminate
A newly discovered ant has been aptly named after the creepiest of all Harry Potter villains, Lord Voldemort. Like the lord, the ant is pale, slender, and it lives in the dark – unlike Mr. Voldemort, however, the ant did not give young Harry his lightn… Continue reading Freaky ‘Leptanilla voldemort’ ant earns its name in the darkness
It almost sounds like a fairytale: a tiny ant dramatically impacting a giant lion. But thanks to a study that reveals just how interconnected all life forms really are, researchers have just figured out that it happened on the savannas of Africa.Contin… Continue reading Invasive ant causes chain-reaction, sparing zebras from lions in Kenya
Australia’s native meat ants are struggling. Invasive species of foreign ants have a foothold on the continent, and are increasingly outcompeting their native rivals for territory. Beyond simple encroachment, they …read more Continue reading Saving Australia’s Ants With Age of Empires II
Hijacking the body of a convenient host is nothing new in the opportunistic world of parasitism. Nor are zombie ants, thanks to the fittingly named zombie-ant fungus (Ophiocordyceps unilateralis), which has even claimed top prize in photography competi… Continue reading Parasite turns hapless ants into zombies at sunrise and sunset
If you’ve been stung by an ant, you know how painful it can be. Australian researchers have found that some of the most painful ant stings are caused by nerve-targeting neurotoxins. But, unlike those found in snake and scorpion venom, ant toxins affect… Continue reading ‘World’s most painful insect sting’ found to target nerves in unique way
Playing dead is a common defense mechanism in the animal kingdom, but scientists in Australia have discovered an example on a whole new scale. Entire colonies of ants were found to be feigning death, in a collective behavior that’s never been recorded … Continue reading Ant colonies perform strange group behavior never recorded before
Ants can be found in huge numbers in almost all of the world’s regions and habitats. But how did they become the most populous, highly diverse insect species on the planet? Scientists may have an answer, and it has to do with plants.Continue ReadingCat… Continue reading Ants and plants: A 60-million-year-old evolutionary friendship
One ant is not very smart, but put a bunch of them together and they can achieve some remarkable things. Inspired by this emergent cooperative behavior, Harvard researchers have built robots that can work together to escape from a “prison,” without nee… Continue reading Ant-inspired robot swarm works together to bust out of jail
The next time an inquisitive four-year-old asks how many ants there are on Earth, you can be ready to fire back a specific number. Researchers in Germany have scoured the scientific literature to come up with an answer to that question, as well as the … Continue reading Scientists tally up the total number of ants on Earth
A fascinating new study has discovered an insulin-suppressing protein that can help extend the lifespan of some ants. The research revealed that in a certain species of ant this anti-aging pathway is activated when workers transition to the position of… Continue reading Anti-insulin protein helps queen ants live five times longer than workers