Scientists have now estimated that the global population of ants around the world is 20 quadrillion or 2.5 million per person. The number was officially published in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences after scientists combed through 489 published studies that surveyed the number of ants in a given environment. “It’s […]
Tag: ants
Discovered in the deep: the crustacean with eyes for a head
The inky depths of the ocean’s twilight zone are home to fist-sized shrimp-like crustaceans with ridiculously big eyes. Most of Cystisoma’s head is taken up by its eyes – all the better for seeing in the dark. “The bigger you make your eye, the more likely you are to catch any photons that are out […]
Ants can be better than pesticides for growing healthy crops, study finds
Ants can be more effective than pesticides at helping farmers produce food, according to new research. They are better at killing pests, reducing plant damage and increasing crop yields, according to the first systematic review of ants’ contributions to crop production. Ants are generalist predators and hunt pests that damage fruits, seeds and leaves, leading […]
Tawny Crazy Ants may have finally met their Kryptonite – a naturally occurring fungus can crush local populations
AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) — When tawny crazy ants invade a new location, they act as an ecological wrecking ball, displacing native insects and small animals while also generating huge issues for homeowners. Scientists at The University of Texas in Austin have showed how to harness a naturally occurring fungus to kill small populations of crazy […]
US plan to genetically alter crops via insects feared to be biological war plan
Government-backed researchers in America are aiming to use virus-carrying insects to genetically engineer crops – raising fears the technology could be used for biological weapons. A new article in the journal Science explores the shadowy program funded by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa). The program aims to disperse infectious, genetically modified viruses […]
New pirate ant uses sickle-shaped mandibles to decimate rivals
A new species of ant has recently been discovered in the Hortarium of the Los Baños University in the Philippines. Scientists named it the pirate ant (Cardiocondyla pirata) due to the female’s unique pigmentation pattern: a distinctive stripe across the eyes that resembles a pirates’ eye-patch. The pirate ant belongs to a genus Cardiocondyla that […]