Articles tagged with Ants
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Researchers identified a social chromosome in the red fire ant that enables multiple queens, outperforming single-queen colonies in busy environments. The discovery could lead to novel pest control strategies, such as deactivating genes in the social chromosome to induce social anarchy.
Researchers found high concentrations of gold in termite mounds, indicating a larger deposit underneath. These insects bring up small particles containing gold from the deposit's fingerprint and stockpile it in their mounds.
Enslaved worker ants kill off parasite offspring to increase chances of survival for their neighbors. Slave workers feed and care for larvae but neglect pupae, resulting in low survival rates. This behavior benefits neighboring colonies by reducing slave-maker colonies' growth and effectiveness.
Researchers at Arizona State University found that ants use collective decision-making to handle complex choices, beating individual selection. By sharing the load, colonies avoid mistakes made by solo animals overwhelmed by too much information.
The Rasberry Crazy Ant, an invasive species in Texas, has been identified as Nylanderia fulva, which will aid in controlling its spread. The species is now known to be distributed more widely than initially thought and may have invaded all Gulf Coast states.
The Borderea chouardii plant, critically endangered and found only on two cliff sides in the Pyrenees, employs a doubly mutualistic reproductive strategy with local ants. The plant's unusually long lifespan and climatically stable habitat contribute to its success.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University discovered that ants have four to five times more odor receptors than most other insects, enabling them to form highly organized colonies. The team mapped the olfactory system of two ant species, finding significant differences in receptor expression and chemical signals between males and females.
Ants use an algorithm to determine how many foragers to send out based on food availability, similar to internet protocols discovering available bandwidth. The discovery could inform the design of networked systems with ant-inspired algorithms.
Researchers mapped ant genomes to reveal relationship between epigenetic regulation and caste differentiation. DNA methylation patterns correlated with alternative splicing events and caste-specific genes.
Researchers discovered that lady beetles intercept and utilize Azteca instabilis ants' alarm pheromones to locate safe egg-laying sites. This finding reveals a complex interaction between insects, with potential implications for pest management on coffee plantations.
The Entomological Society of America has elected ten new Fellows for 2012, including Christian Borgemeister and Henry Hagedorn, recognized for their research on biological control and integrated pest management. The ESA International Branch also named Joseph Morse as a Fellow, honored for his work in entomology and systems science.
Researchers found that males with ant-eating traits have ornament shapes resembling ants, attracting female bites that develop a search image for the food. Sensory drive promotes differences among populations based on species in the community.
A new species of phorid fly has been discovered, belonging to a family known for 'decapitating' ants. The tiny fly, Euryplatea nanaknihali, is 15 times smaller than a house fly and feeds on the heads of small ant species.
Research reveals that ants farm subterranean aphids in clone groups, with over half of ant mounds containing a single species or clone. This unique farming method allows ants to actively manage diversity and abundance, maximizing honeydew yield and dietary protein.
Researchers discover 9 new genera of ants in the Philippines, bringing the total to 474 known species. Habitat destruction threatens these unique communities and many more remain unexplored.
Male Cardiocondyla obscurior ants use chemical tagging to identify and kill younger rival males, ensuring colony survival. This behavior increases the chances of surviving fights against two-day-old males to 14%.
Researchers discovered a novel trapping mechanism in Nepenthes gracilis pitcher plants, where heavy rain acts as a springboard to catch insects. The unique mechanism involves a thin film of water on the wettable rim, causing insects to slip and fall into the digestive fluid.
Researchers at UC3M developed an algorithm called SoSACO that accelerates route-finding in social networks by mimicking the behavior of ants. This allows for rapid responses in tens of milliseconds, with applications in various fields such as online games and delivery systems.
Researchers found that carnivorous plants in symbiosis with ants produced larger leaves, increased nitrogen availability, and improved growth. The ants acted as the plant's 'gizzard', recycling nutrients from insects caught in the plant's traps.
A hyperparasitic fungus has been found to effectively combat the zombie-ant fungus, limiting its spread and survival. The research model shows that only about 6.5% of spore-producing organs were viable, suggesting a smaller threat to ant colonies.
Researchers found that ant queens from species Cardiocondyla obscurior laid more eggs as they aged, unlike humans and other organisms. This high reproductive rate did not shorten the queens' life spans, a surprising finding.
Researchers found that ants' social contact with sick ants promotes disease protection in their group members through low-level micro-infections. This social mechanism enables colonies to recover more rapidly from infections.
Desert ants utilize a combination of path integration, visual cues, olfactory signals, and even magnetic fields to return home. They can recognize their own nest by tracking the plume of carbon dioxide produced by their nestmates' breathing, yet prioritize path integration over this chemical signal.
Desert ants were trained with magnetic and vibrational landmarks relative to their nest, showing that the behavior was learned. The ants had no innate preference for these cues, suggesting they are adaptable navigators.
Researchers have found that bacteria help decompose the leaves and turn them into nutrients for both ants and fungi. The study, published in The ISME Journal, reveals a new understanding of the symbiotic relationship between leafcutter ants, fungi, and bacteria.
Weaver ants share a collective memory of rival ant odors, which helps them identify and compete with rivals. This collective memory gives the colony an edge in competition by priming all nest mates with information about rivals before they encounter them.
A study published in PLOS ONE found that worker ants can paralyze and kill termites without direct contact, thanks to their potent venom. The researchers discovered three functions of the ant venom: attracting nestmates, repelling alien ants, and killing termites.
Researchers found that silverfish steal the ant's scent to avoid being killed or rejected from the nest. By continually updating this scent, the silverfish remain protected from ant aggression. This co-evolutionary arms race highlights the ants' complex scent recognition system and the silverfish's elaborate behavioral adaptations.
A UT study reveals climate change affects ants' ability to disperse seeds and perform vital ecosystem functions, potentially jeopardizing plant biodiversity. Researchers observed dramatic changes in ant behavior in response to temperature increases.
Researchers at Purdue University have discovered odorous house ants in Hawaii, forming large megacolonies that are outcompeting native species. The invasive ants are thriving in Hawaii's climate, which allows them to eat and expand faster than in their native range.
A study by University of Leeds ecologists reveals that over 80% of ant species found in pristine forests were also present in logged areas. This finding has implications for forest conservation, suggesting that areas previously thought to have little value can still support diverse communities.
In polygynous colonies, worker ants reinforce dominant queens by feeding and grooming them, while eliminating weaker sisters. Researchers found that inter-queen fighting involves ritualistic behavior, while workers are more aggressive, suggesting a complex reproductive strategy to maintain queen dominance.
A study found that fast-evolving genes in social insects like fire ants and honeybees are responsible for their developmental differences. These genes exhibit elevated rates of evolution, even before they are recruited to produce diverse forms.
Four species of wasps show remarkable adaptations in attacking ants, with two new species described. The study reveals how young wasps survive inside ant nests by exploiting dead ants outside the entrance.
Research at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz found that ant colonies with higher levels of aggression and behavioral variability are more productive, producing more offspring and biomass. This suggests that a division of labor based on individual personality traits may be the key to their ecological success.
A recent study on leaf-cutting ants has sequenced their genome, revealing key adaptations behind their unique social behavior and fungus farming lifestyle. The research found that specific genes are involved in mating system adaptations and symbiotic food processing with the fungus.
Ladybird beetles' ability to produce anti-ant defences has led to their high diversity, with most species having one or both of these defences. This evolutionary shift allowed ladybirds to successfully poach soft-bodied scale insects from under the noses of aggressive ants.
A native species, the plucky winter ant, has been discovered using chemical warfare to combat the Argentine ant invasion. In laboratory testing, the poison had a 79 percent kill rate, making it a potential game-changer in ecosystem defense.
Researchers Anna Dornhaus and Benjamin Blonder found that ant colonies exhibit unique behavior, contradicting the assumption of universal properties in self-directed networks. The study recorded over 9,000 interactions between individual ants, providing insight into complex communication within the colony.
Researchers discovered that ants use chemical signals on their host tree to distinguish it from competing plant species. The team found that the ants more aggressively attacked papers coated with extracts from a closely related species, demonstrating the high degree of specificity for their host tree.
Researchers have discovered a new compound, VUAA1, that directly stimulates the Orco co-receptor in mosquito odorant receptors, overwhelming the insect's sense of smell. The compound is thousands times more effective than DEET and works against flies, moths, ants, and other insects.
A parasitic fungus infects tropical carpenter ants, causing them to become zombie-like and die in ideal conditions for the fungus. The fungus affects the ant's muscles, nervous system, and behavior, leading to a loss of coordination and death.
Researchers investigated zombie ants in Thailand's rainforest, finding they were manipulated by the fungus into dying at optimal conditions for reproduction. The fungus causes muscle atrophy, central nervous system damage, and 'lock jaw', forcing infected ants to bite leaves to release spores.
A recent study by Max Planck Institute researchers discovered that ants can recognize the distinctive body odor of caterpillars after they consume sugary secretions from wild tobacco plant trichomes. The caterpillars develop a unique odor profile, which is then detected by predatory ants, making them easier to locate and feed on.
Studies by CSIRO and the University of Sydney found that ants and termites can increase wheat crop yields by up to 36% under low tillage conditions. The insects improve soil nitrogen and water infiltration, reducing runoff and evaporation. This breakthrough has significant implications for dryland agriculture in hot and dry climates.
Researchers develop an algorithm based on honey bee behavior to solve the four-color theorem, which proves that maps can be colored with only four colors. This method uses less computational power than existing algorithms and applies to engineering and mathematical problems beyond map coloring.
Four new species of fungus have been discovered in the Brazilian rainforest, infecting ants and manipulating their behavior to secure prime locations for spore dispersal. The study sheds light on the complex interactions between parasites and fragmented habitats, providing tools for further research into disease dynamics.
A new University of Florida study has identified the southern US as the origin of invasive red imported fire ants worldwide. The research used molecular genetic markers to track the ants' movements and found that all but one invasion came from the southern US.
Researchers found that Texas leafcutter ants can maintain winter gardens thanks to cold-tolerant fungus crops, but the fungus limits their ability to spread farther north. The ant's symbiotic relationship with the fungus constrains their ecological niches.
A study found that Texas leaf-cutter ants use a fungus as an external digestive system to survive the cold, and the fungus's resistance is based on genetic differences. The ants' ability to manage fungal crops prevents them from spreading farther north than their current range.
A recent study on the leafcutter ant genome has shed light on its unique fungus-farming abilities, revealing how the insect's lifestyle has remade its genetic blueprint over time. The research provides a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between ants, fungi, and bacteria in this mutualistic relationship.
A recent study sequenced the genome of a red harvester ant and found significant differences in genes related to sense of smell, chemical signal detection, and immune system. These findings suggest that epigenetic modifications play a crucial role in regulating gene expression for division of labor and reproduction.
The genome sequences of four ants - red harvester ant, Argentine ant, fire ant, and leaf-cutter ant - have been published in coordinated releases. The international collaborative effort sped up the advancement of these genome projects, providing insights into social behavior and pest management.
The Argentine ant's genome has been mapped, revealing key findings such as the species' keen senses of smell and taste, which may aid in developing targeted control methods. The genome also suggests that the ants have mechanisms to prevent disease, but caution is advised against expecting a quick fix.
The study provides insights into how ants develop into queens or workers, shedding light on invasion biology and potential pest control methods. Analysis of the Argentine and red harvester ant genomes suggests chemical modification of DNA may play a key role in this process.
Research by the University of Exeter reveals that ants have a significant impact on their environment as ecosystem engineers and predators. The study found that ants can increase diversity and density of other animal groups at low densities, but higher densities counteract this effect through increased predation.
A large-scale experiment by UC Davis ecologists shows that environmental changes can alter how intact ecological communities function, affecting plant and animal species interactions. The study, led by Jonah Piovia-Scott, used seaweed to imitate climate change effects on Caribbean islands.
Researchers found that leaf-cutter ants change tasks when mandibles wear out, allowing more efficient sisters to take over. This division of labor allows the colony to remain productive while minimizing energy loss.
A new study found that workers are pivotal in creating complex societies where conflict is minimized. The research discovered that UK worker ants are more docile and less aggressive towards their queens, whereas Spanish worker ants engage in ruthless behavior to determine the next queen.
Mutualist systems may play crucial roles in global ecosystem health, but human impacts are forcing them down unprecedented evolutionary paths. Research suggests that small changes or shifts in mutualistic relationships could be the most potent global disruptions.