A new computer simulator allows to design military strategies based on ants' movements
A researcher of the University of Granada has designed a new system for the mobility of military troops within a battlefield based on the mechanisms used by ant colonies to move using a commercial videogame. view more (2009-11-09)
Ants are friendly to some trees, but not others
Tree-dwelling ants generally live in harmony with their arboreal hosts. But new research suggests that when they run out of space in their trees of choice, the ants can get destructive to neighboring trees. view more (2009-11-09)
Orphan army ants join nearby colonies
Colonies of army ants, whose long columns and marauding habits are the stuff of natural-history legend, are usually antagonistic to each other, attacking soldiers from rival colonies in border disputes that keep the colonies separate. view more (2009-11-05)
When ants attack: Researchers recreate chemicals that trigger aggression in Argentine ants
Experiments led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have demonstrated that normally friendly ants can turn against each other by exploiting the chemical cues they use to distinguish colony-mates from rivals. view more (2009-10-28)
First 'mainly vegetarian' spider described
The 40,000 or so spiders that have been described are generally known as strict predators, trapping their prey in elaborate webs or hunting them down directly. view more (2009-10-13)
Herbivory discovered in a spider
There are approximately 40,000 species of spiders in the world, all of which have been thought to be strict predators that feed on insects or other animals. Now, scientists have found that a small Central American jumping spider has a uniquely different diet: the species Bagheera kiplingi feeds predominantly on plant food. view more (2009-10-13)
Homebound termites answer 150-year-old evolution question
Staying at home may have given the very first termite youngsters the best opportunity to rule the colony when their parents were killed by their neighbors. view more (2009-10-06)
Ants vs. worms: Computer security mimics nature
In the never-ending battle to protect computer networks from intruders, security experts are deploying a new defense modeled after one of nature's hardiest creatures - the ant. view more (2009-09-28)
Biologists discover 'death stench' is a universal ancient warning signal
The smell of recent death or injury that repels living relatives of insects has been identified as a truly ancient signal that functions to avoid disease or predators, biologists have discovered. view more (2009-09-14)
Chimpanzees develop specialized tool kits to catch army ants
Chimpanzees in the Congo have developed specialized "tool kits" to forage for army ants, reveals new research published Sept. 3 in the American Journal of Primatology. view more (2009-09-08)
Ant has given up sex completely, report Texas researchers
The complete asexuality of a widespread fungus-gardening ant, the only ant species in the world known to have dispensed with males entirely, has been confirmed by a team of Texas and Brazilian researchers. view more (2009-08-26)
Parasite causes zombie ants to die in an ideal spot
A study in the September issue of The American Naturalist describes new details about a fungal parasite that coerces ants into dying in just the right spot-one that is ideal for the fungus to grow and reproduce. view more (2009-08-12)
Ants more rational than humans
In a study released online on July 22 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society: Biological Sciences, researchers at Arizona State University and Princeton University show that ants can accomplish a task more rationally than our - multimodal, egg-headed, tool-using, bipedal, opposing-thumbed - selves. view more (2009-07-27)
For horned lizard, horns alone do not make the species
How do you recognize a new species? A thorough study of the million-year evolution of California's horned lizards, sometimes referred to as "horny toads," shows that when it comes to distinguishing such recently diverged species, the most powerful method integrates genetic, anatomical and ecological information. view more (2009-07-22)
A question of height
Intelligent countryside management could improve the survival chances of animal and plant species threatened by climate change. view more (2009-07-06)
Trading energy for safety, bees extend legs to stay stable in wind
New research shows some bees brace themselves against wind and turbulence by extending their sturdy hind legs while flying. view more (2009-06-03)
Temporary infidelity may contribute to the stability of ancient relationships
Fungus-farming ants have cultivated the same fungal crops for 50 million years. Each young ant queen carries a bit of fungus garden with her when she flies away to mate and establish a new nest. view more (2009-06-02)
How social insects recognize dead nestmates
When an ant dies in an ant nest or near one, its body is quickly picked up by living ants and removed from the colony, thus limiting the risk of colony infection by pathogens from the corpse. view more (2009-05-06)
Food security for leaf-cutting ants: Workers and their fungus garden reject endophyte invaders
New diseases directly affect human survival and food security, especially as population density climbs. Leaf-cutting ants, one of a few groups of social insects to cultivate crops, have harvested plant material to fertilize their underground fungal gardens for ~50 million years. view more (2009-04-03)
New species of spiders discovered by UBC scientist in Papua New Guinea
A University of British Columbia researcher has discovered dozens of species of jumping spiders that are new to science, giving scientists a peek into a section of the evolutionary tree previously thought to be sparse. view more (2009-03-25)
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