Army ants are creators not destroyers of worlds

Army ants have a reputation for annihilating everything in their path as they march through the jungle. But the most complete study of its kind has found that army ants are creators of whole worlds, not destroyers. More than 300 species, ranging from birds to tiny mites, depend in part on a single species of [...]

Read Full Post »

Ants: The Invisible Majority

Interesting short video about ant taxonomy, behind the scenes at AntWeb and more.. Ants: The Invisible Majority

Read Full Post »

A year in the life of ants (radio prog)

‘Enter the alien and dangerous world of Northumbrian wood ants. Peter France takes an extraordinary journey across the seasons.’ Episode 1 on iPlayer here. Details of episodes 2-5 here. Each episode is only available for 7 days.

Read Full Post »

GPS used to preserve ants’ nests

Conservationists in Northumberland have used satellite technology to pinpoint 69 rare ants’ nests before work to fell thousands of trees begins. The nests, made of conifer needles, are home to the hairy northern wood ant. (eta: Formica lugubris) The Forestry Commission is removing 10,000 tonnes of conifer planted in the 20th Century to restore the [...]

Read Full Post »

National Trust property test site for super ant pest control

A National Trust property is being used as a test site for controlling the spread of an invasive ant across Europe. A colony of 35,000 super ants was discovered in England for the first time in a fuse box at Hidcote Manor, Gloucestershire earlier this year. The ants, that originate in Asia, are already a [...]

Read Full Post »

Fire risk ‘super’ ants discovered

Ants believed to have a “kamikaze attraction” to electricity have been discovered in one of England’s finest National Trust gardens. Colonies of lasius neglectus, the so-called Asian super ant, have being found at Hidcote Manor, near Chipping Campden, in Gloucestershire. It is thought to be the first recorded sighting in the UK, although they have [...]

Read Full Post »

Ant mega-colony takes over world

A single mega-colony of ants has colonised much of the world, scientists have discovered. Argentine ants living in vast numbers across Europe, the US and Japan belong to the same inter-related colony, and will refuse to fight one another. The colony may be the largest of its type ever known for any insect species, and [...]

Read Full Post »

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. Short breaks in the ants’ relationship with the fungus during nest establishment may contribute to the stability of this long-term [...]

Read Full Post »

‘Stench of life’ prevents ants from being buried alive

Life really stinks for Argentine ants. New research shows that while alive, the ants produce two odoriferous chemicals that prevent their compatriots from immediately carting their bodies away to the ‘morgue’. Within minutes of their death, however, the conspicuous absence of these chemicals prompts workers to remove the carcasses, explaining how the foraging ants are [...]

Read Full Post »

A plea for bees/How do ants know what to do? (video talks)

A couple of interesting video talks from TED. Credit to Bug Girl for links to these. Dennis vanEngelsdorp: a plea for bees. Deborah Gordon: How do ants know what to do?

Read Full Post »