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......»»
Research highlights the role of ants in forest regeneration
Walk through an old-growth forest in early spring, and you'll be dazzled by wildflowers, their jewel-like tones shining from the forest floor......»»
Biologists discover the first fossil species of mountain ants in Baltic amber
St Petersburg University scientists found an ant of the genus Manica in a piece of amber in collection of the Kaliningrad Amber Museum. Such ants had previously been found only in the mountains of Europe, the Caucasus, North America, and Japan. The s.....»»
How species partnerships evolve to become specific or general, cooperative or antagonistic
Symbiotic relationships are everywhere in nature. In the soil, for example, mycorrhizal fungi enhance water and nutrient absorption for plants while feeding on sugars their roots release. In another classic mutualism, ants find food and shelter in sp.....»»
Training ants to sniff out cancerous tumors in mice
A team of researchers from Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Université Paris-Saclay and Institut Universitaire de France has found that it is possible train ants to sniff out cancerous tumors in mice. In their study, published in Proceedings of the.....»»
Meet the real zombifying fungus behind the fictional Last of Us outbreak
Ants are in trouble, but humans are safe... for now. Enlarge / HBO's The Last of Us provides a vivid visual imagining of what a Cordyceps infected human might become. (credit: YouTube/HBO Max) HBO's new sci-fi series Th.....»»
Native eastern fence lizards change their bodies and behavior in response to invasive red imported fire ants
An eastern fence lizard basking in the sun feels a small red ant walk over its back. Not hungry, it ignores the insect. Soon there are lots of ants crawling up its legs, biting the scales that usually protect it and inserting their stingers in its so.....»»
Study finds ants aren"t altering behavior in rising temperatures
Researchers at North Carolina State University found in a recent study that ants did not adjust their behavior in response to warming temperatures and persisted in sub-optimal microhabitats even when optimal ones were present. The finding suggests an.....»»
Sharing is caring with fire ant venom
Venom is associated with being harmful, but red imported fire ants are using their venom for its medicinal benefits by sharing the toxic substance with their nestmates, according to a study published in the Journal of Insect Physiology......»»
Argentine ants will do anything for sugar, but they won"t do this
It might seem like common sense that a starving animal is more likely to take dangerous risks to obtain food than one with a full belly. But new research from UCLA shows that groups of Argentine ants, who forage boldly when they're well fed, exercise.....»»
Oldest army ant ever discovered reveals iconic predator once raided Europe
Their nomadic lifestyle and ravenous raiding have taken army ants (Dorylinae) to most continents on Earth, but a rare fossil discovery is now offering first evidence that the infamous predators once swarmed a land they are strikingly absent from toda.....»»
Spider mites found to avoid leaves where ants have been
Ants may not urinate to mark their territory as dogs do, but the behavior of spider mites might suggest otherwise. Under significant pressure from ants, mites have to choose between safety and risk: staying out of ant territory to avoid predation or.....»»
Marvel has resized the "Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania" trailer for ants
Marvel released the official teaser trailer for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania today, giving us a look at Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly)'s next adventure through the Quantum Realm. It will be a family trip too, with Sc.....»»
Tentacles from giant sea anemones reveal new genetic insights
Despite the long, dangerous journey depicted in Pixar's "Finding Nemo," clownfish (and other species of anemonefish) are, in real life, deeply attached to their underwater homes. As young larvae, anemonefish choose a giant sea anemone—tentacled cre.....»»
Eating fire ants could prepare lizards for future fire ant attack
Eating fire ants might prepare a lizard's immune system to be stung by the ants, according to a new study by researchers at Penn State. The study comprehensively assessed how the immune system responds to lizards eating and being stung by these ants.....»»
Study shows behavioral, physiological changes in ants disturbed by development, urban sprawl
Research by Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists in the Texas A&M Department of Entomology showed a common ant species undergoes physiological and behavioral changes in unnatural settings......»»
How many ants are on Earth? 20 quadrillion, study says
There are at least 20 quadrillion ants on Earth, according to a new study that says even that staggering figure likely underestimates the total population of the insects, which are an essential part of ecosystems around the world......»»
How the Australian ant-slayer spider captures ants
A team of researchers at Macquarie University, in Australia, working with two colleagues from Universität Hamburg, in Germany, has uncovered the means by which the Australian ant-slayer spider is able to capture and eat the much larger banded sugar.....»»
Earth harbours 20,000,000,000,000,000 ants. And they weigh more than wild birds and mammals combined
Have you ever wondered exactly how many ants live on Earth? Possibly not, but it's certainly a question we've asked ourselves......»»
Fire ant rafts form because of the Cheerios effect, study concludes
Fire ants will change shape of the raft to reduce drag and adapt to fluid flows. Enlarge / Georgia Tech scientists found that the so-called "Cheerios effect" is the mechanism by which fire ants cluster together to form rafts. (credit:.....»»
The medicine of ants: Rescue and treatment of injured individuals
The African Matabele ant (Megaponera analis) lives dangerously when hunting able-bodied termites. However, the animals do not simply give up their wounded. Depending on the degree of injury, they rescue and treat them. Injured individuals decide for.....»»