‘Hell Ant’ fossil unearthed in museum collection becomes the oldest known ant specimen
In their article, “A hell ant from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil” the authors report the oldest known Haidomyrmecinae, preserved as a rock impression in...
Category: Photoblog
Microbes, molecules, and mates: Unraveling nestmate recognition in Pheidole megacephala
How do ants identify who is a nest mate vs. who is not? Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) have been demonstrated to drive such recognition. In the...
Sweet but not so simple: How sugar changes the temper of Asian weaver ants
Have you ever wondered why some ants get aggressive over a drop of sugar, while others don’t react as much? In their fascinating study, “The...
Trap-jawed takeover: Unravelling the secret lives of Taiwan’s invading ants
Armed with lightning-fast jaws and complex societies, Odontomachus troglodytes has made its surprising home in southern Taiwan – far from its native Africa. In their...
An investigation of physiological adaptations for remarkable heat tolerance in a genus of desert-inhabiting African ants
In their study in Myrmecological News, “Some like it hot: Physiological responses of hot-rod ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and their interactions with past and future climate...
Lizard feces uncover benefits of Batesian mimicry in Camponotus lateralis
Batesian mimicry is when a harmless species adopts the warning signal of another, more harmful species. For instance, countless other arthropods evolved to mimic ants...
The role of ants in relation to oil palm landscapes
Ants are key players in tropical ecosystems—busy performing crucial ecological jobs. But how do they fare amidst the expanding oil palm plantations sweeping across the...
Strumigenys mutica confirmed to be a temporary social parasite of other Strumigenys species
Temporary social parasitism, where the parasite ant invades a host colony, kills its queen and uses the host workers to rear the offspring of the...
Ancient ant colony and male fossil unveil evolutionary secrets in 99-million-year-old amber
In their study published today in Myrmecological News, Zhuang et al. revealed two extraordinary fossils preserved in 99-million-year-old Burmese amber. These findings shed fresh light on...
Competition for food and nesting resources in arboreal ant communities of Papua New Guinea
A Photoblog contribution by Phil Hoenle. All pictures © by Phil Hoenle. Edit by Florian Steiner and Salvatore Brunetti In this photoblog contribution, Phil Hoenle shares...
Recent Comments