Record-Breaking Evolutionary Innovation: Powerful, Deadly, Ultrafast Bite of a Trap-Jaw Ant
Small changes in form can lead to innovative breakthroughs in function, a new study reveals. Researchers have revealed how an ant’s trap-jaw — a powerful,…
Ants News
Ants Swallow Their Own Acid to Kill Harmful Bacteria in Their Food
Ants use their own acid to disinfect themselves and their stomachs. A team from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the University of Bayreuth has…
Supergene Discovery Leads to New Knowledge of Fire Ants & Pest Control Methods
The research could help development of new pest control methods. A unique study conducted by University of Georgia entomologists led to the discovery of a…
Researchers Observe Sophisticated Tool Use in Ants for the First Time
Researchers have observed black imported fire ants using sand to draw liquid food out of containers when faced with the risk of drowning. This is…
Using Ant Pheromones to Catch Crop Pests & Reduce Insecticide Spraying
Scientists at the Universities of Bath and Sussex have developed a new system that slowly releases ant pheromones to attract pests to an insecticide bait….
Stunning 99-Million-Year-Old Fossil Reveals “Hell Ants” in Detail: Hunted With Bizarre, Deadly Mandibles
In a 99-million-year-old preserved amber fossil, researchers get a detailed glimpse into how ‘Hell Ants’ hunted with scythe-like mandibles and horn appendages. In findings published…
Fascinating Evolution of White Thistle-Down Velvet Ants – Which Are Actually Wasps in Disguise
Multiple approaches used to investigate adaptive coloration of Dasymutilla gloriosa. Driving across the arid American Southwest, one views miles upon miles of scrubby creosote bushes….
Scientists Alarmed by Long-Term Effects of Insecticides on Ant Colonies
This week, scientists of the Institute of Bee Health of the University of Bern have published an article in the peer-reviewed journal Communications Biology, which…
Ants Harness Their “Collective Brainpower” to Navigate Obstacles
New findings reveal how ants increase their collective sensing power to help them navigate complex terrains. Ants use their numbers to overcome navigational challenges that…
Evolution Can Go in Reverse – Research on Soldier Ants Reveals Surprising Flexibility
Turtle ant soldiers look like real-life creatures straight out of a Japanese anime film. These tree-dwelling insects scuttle to and fro sporting shiny, adorably oversized…
Friend or Foe? Specific Mechanism Discovered for Unlocking Aggression in Ants [Video]
For most social animals, even humans, the ability to distinguish friend versus foe can be a challenge that often can lead to knee-jerk aggression. But…
First Evidence That Social Interactions of Ants Affect Pathogen Competition
Sanitary care by social ants shapes disease outcome — study published in Ecology Letters. Who wins in a competition is largely dependent on the opponent…
Of Ants and Men: Ant Behavior and Political Polarization May Be Driven by the Same Processes
Princeton researchers find that division of labor and political polarization may be driven by the same processes in ant societies. Could the division of labor…
In a Twist of Fate, Ant Expert Discovers Distinct New Species in His Own Backyard
Jack Longino is a global ant expert and has traveled the world documenting and discovering ant species. But for his latest discovery, he didn’t need…
Ants the Size of Lions: Augmented Ants [Video]
The first app of its kind allows users to interact with biodiversity research through augmented reality. An ant the size of a lion isn’t as…
Invasion of Zombie Ants in Florida – Fungal Infection Takes Over the Ants’ Brains
Biology Assistant Professor Charissa de Bekker is working to figure out how a fungus is manipulating and killing ants. A zombie invasion is happening in…
Cannibal Wood Ants Were Stuck in a Polish Nuclear Weapons Bunker – Here’s What Happened
In a recent development of the story about wood ants trapped in a post-Soviet nuclear weapons bunker in Poland, scientists, led by Professor Wojciech Czechowski,…
Ants vs. Humans: Solving the Mystery of How Ants Manage Traffic So Well
Whether they occur on holiday routes or the daily commute, traffic jams affect cars as well as pedestrians. Scientists at the Research Center on Animal…
