ants

Researchers explore genetic basis of social behavior in ants

harminka — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:14:20 -0500

Understanding how interactions between genes and the environment influence social behavior is a fundamental research goal. In a new study, researchers at the University of Lausanne and the University of Georgia have shed light on the numbers and types of genes that may control social organization in fire ant colonies.

Chinese ants show promise for fighting arthritis, other diseases

harminka — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:24:42 -0500

Ants may be an unwelcome intruder at picnics, but they could soon be a welcome guest in your medicine cabinet. Chemists in China report identification of substances in a certain species of ants that show promise for fighting arthritis, hepatitis, and other diseases. Their study is scheduled for the April 25 issue of ACS’ Journal of Natural Products, a monthly publication.

Playing dead is no game for ant survival

harminka — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:38:00 -0500

Pretending to be dead is an effective self-defense strategy adopted by young fire ant workers under attack from neighboring colonies. This tactic makes them four times more likely to survive aggression than older workers who fight back. As a result, these young workers are able to contribute to brood care and colony growth to ensure the survival and fitness of their queen.

Ant guts could pave the way for better drugs

harminka — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:39:22 -0500

Scientists have discovered two key proteins that guide one of the two groups of pathogenic bacteria to make their hardy outer shells -- their defense against the world.

Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History reveals ants as fungus farmers

harminka — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:55:19 -0500

It turns out ants, like humans, are true farmers. The difference is that ants are farming fungus.

Royal corruption is rife in the ant world

harminka — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:55:47 -0500

Far from being a model of social co-operation, the ant world is riddled with cheating and corruption – and it goes all the way to the top, according to scientists from the Universities of Leeds and Copenhagen.

Attack of the invasive garden ants

harminka — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 01:39:43 -0600

An ant that is native to Eurasia is threatening to become the latest in a procession of species to invade Europe, as a result of inadvertent human introduction.

Harvester ant moms set daughters' fates

harminka — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 13:23:21 -0600

When it comes to deciding what harvester ant daughters will be when they grow up, mother queens hold considerable sway, according to a new study published online on February 14th in Current Biology, a publication of Cell Press. The researchers report evidence that eggs are predetermined to become workers or queens from the moment they are lain.

Insects on coffee plants follow widespread natural tendency

harminka — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:37:27 -0600

Ever since a forward-thinking trio of physicists identified the phenomenon known as self-organized criticality-a mechanism by which complexity arises in nature-scientists have been applying its concepts to everything from economics to avalanches.

Ant parasite turns host into ripe red berry, biologists discover

harminka — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 07:17:10 -0600

A newly discovered parasite so dramatically transforms its host, an ant, that the ant comes to resemble a juicy red berry, ripe for picking, according to a report accepted for publication in The American Naturalist. This is the first example of fruit mimicry caused by a parasite, the co-authors say.

Smell-wars between butterflies and ants

harminka — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 02:14:05 -0600

Among humans, making yourself smell more alluring than you really are is a fairly harmless, socially accepted habit that maintains a complete perfume industry.

Study links success of invasive Argentine ants to diet shifts

harminka — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 12:40:35 -0600

The ability of Argentine ants to change from carnivorous insect eaters to plant sap-loving creatures has helped these invasive social insects rapidly spread throughout coastal California, according to a new study, displacing many native insects and creating ant infestations familiar to most coastal residents.