These sea anemones eat ants
The giant plumose anemone is an animal, but it looks a bit like an underwater cauliflower. Its body consists of a stalk-like column that attaches to rocks and other surfaces on one end, and to a crown of tentacles on the other......»»
Study illuminates the protective role of fluorescence in neon-colored sea anemones
For the first time, a team of researchers at Stanford University and UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography has uncovered a direct genetic link between fluorescence and color in sea anemones—those soft and tentacled tide pool creatures.....»»
Apparently, ants can eat your GPU now
Ants are eating the thermal pads in GPUs, and this is far from the first time we've heard about the problem......»»
Desert ants: Earth"s magnetic field calibrates their navigation system
They are only a few centimeters tall and their brains have a comparatively simple structure with less than 1 million neurons. Nevertheless, desert ants of the Cataglyphis genus possess abilities that distinguish them from many other creatures: The an.....»»
How leafcutter ants cultivate a fungal garden to degrade plants could provide insights into future biofuels
Scientists have spent decades finding ways to efficiently and affordably degrade plant materials so that they can be converted into useful bioproducts that benefit everyday life......»»
Ants help reveal why sourcing different plants for eco fuels is crucial for biodiversity
Despite being a renewable energy source, the use of biofuel is controversial, as growing few, highly productive crops for fuel can lead to biodiversity loss in the cropping systems where biomass is produced. A cropping system refers to the crops, the.....»»
Invasive ants selectively abandon toxic baits, evading our most effective eradication method
Invasive ants are economically costly and ecologically devastating, and most of our eradication attempts have failed. Now, researchers at the University of Buenos Aires and the University of Regensburg have discovered that these ants can evade the mo.....»»
Ants make their own ant-ibiotic for infected wounds
Ants have a gland that makes an antibiotic, and use it in response to pheromones. Enlarge / An ant carrying away one of the termites it preys on. (credit: Wikimedia Commons) Although humans may think we are alone in crea.....»»
Matabele ants recognize infected wounds and treat them with antibiotics
The African Matabele ants are often injured in fights with termites. Their conspecifics recognize when the wounds become infected and initiate antibiotic treatment......»»
Genomic studies shed light on the origins of bee venom
Bees, wasps and ants belong to the Hymenoptera order and inject a whole cocktail of venomous ingredients when they sting. Despite their tremendous ecological and economic importance, little was previously known about the origins of their venom......»»
Research provides new methods to improve capture rates of ground-dwelling arthropods using pitfall trapping
Pitfall traps are commonly used for capturing ground-dwelling arthropods, particularly beetles, ants, and spiders. The efficiency of a pitfall trapping system is significantly influenced by the quantity and size of traps, the spatial distribution of.....»»
Silky ants turn to aphids for medicine when sick
A small team of biologists and zoologists from Austria, the Netherlands, Germany and Finland has found evidence of silky ants consuming aphids to treat fungal infections. In their study, published in the journal Biology Letters, the group collected g.....»»
Okinawa"s ants show reduced seasonal behavior in areas with more human development
Insects have an important role in maintaining the health of ecosystems, but our understanding of how human activities affect their populations is limited. This gap in knowledge is worrying because of the decline of insect populations and the severe c.....»»
Why invasive ants are a silent threat to our ecosystems
Invertebrates are often described by experts as the "little things that run the world," and ants are certainly one of the top contenders for this role. Ants help ecosystems to function normally and the total weight of all ants on Earth is roughly equ.....»»
Move over, Cordyceps, there’s a new “zombie” parasite to haunt our dreams
The lancet liver fluke controls infected ants with a temperature-based on/off switch. Enlarge / An ant infected by the lancet liver fluke climbs up and clamps its powerful jaws onto the top of a blade of grass, making it more lik.....»»
Brain-altering parasite turns ants into zombies at dawn and dusk
The lancet liver fluke, Dicrocoelium dendriticum, has a complicated life cycle that begins with the hijacking of an ant's brain......»»
How to say "jumping ants" in Uchinaaguchi
Recent publication of OIST research findings in the journal Integrative Organismal Biology likely marks the first use of Uchinaaguchi, the indigenous Okinawan language, in a scientific research publication. OIST researchers and staff translated an ab.....»»
Could insights from ants help people build better transportation networks?
Could ants' nests hold the secret to reducing traffic congestion on the 405 Freeway?.....»»
Age of Empires and live ants used to test theoretical ideas on combat
Theories dating back to World War I put to the test with Australian meat ants. Enlarge (credit: Jesús Alberto Ramírez Viera) Anyone who has played a real-time strategy game probably ponders this question when preparing.....»»
Ants found to be able to predict queues and avoid them
As humans, we are pretty good at working out how busy the cafeteria at work will be, and going elsewhere if we think it will be full. Now, researchers at the University of Regensburg have discovered that ants also understand that some feeding places.....»»
Biologists take deep dive into the evolution of clownfish
Clownfish, renowned for their vibrant colors and unusual symbiotic relationship with sea anemones, have long captivated the imagination of scientists and nature enthusiasts alike. They also serve as a promising model organism for studying adaptive ra.....»»