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Our fascination with ants is unending, as they’ve been aptly described by biologist E.O. Wilson as the 'little things that run the world.' Myrmecology, the study of ants, continues to intrigue scientists, offering more secrets to uncover. Here are some of the most intriguing discoveries we've recently made about these incredible creatures.
10. A Source of Inspiration for Professional Boxers
Sometimes, even the highly structured societies of ants face intense conflict. Researchers at the University of Illinois and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences used high-speed cameras to capture ant-to-ant combat in four species of trap-jaw ants.
Trap-jaw ants possess extraordinary mandibles that snap shut at speeds exceeding 40 meters (130 feet) per second. These powerful jaws are so versatile that the ants use them to launch themselves into the air to evade predators.
However, when trap-jaw ants engage in battles with each other, they avoid using their lethal jaws. Instead, they confront one another face to face, striking with their antennae, resembling boxers exchanging punches.
The recorded footage reveals that different ant species can deliver between 20 to 42 strikes per second in a fight. The Florida-based species Odontomachus brunneus holds the record. According to the researchers, trap-jaw ants are the fastest boxers ever documented.
9. Not So Industrious After All
Although ants are often celebrated for their relentless work ethic, they are not much different from the lazy grasshopper in Aesop’s fable.
Ant colonies thrive on a highly organized division of labor. The tasks they perform range from feeding larvae to foraging for food to constructing their underground structures.
Then there are the slackers—the idle ants that specialize in doing nothing. Entomologists at the University of Arizona conducted a study with five ant colonies (250 Temnothorax rugatulus ants), observing them in the lab for two weeks.
The ants were tagged with unique paint spots, and their activities were recorded continuously. The results were quite surprising: Over 25 percent of the worker ants did not contribute at all, and more than 70 percent worked less than half the time. Approximately 3 percent of the ants did most of the work.
However, the situation may not be as simple as it appears. In fact, the idlers might play a crucial role in the colony’s success. Perhaps they were performing tasks that were not visible on the cameras.
It’s also possible that their roles were less apparent, like storing food in their own stomachs for future use or transmitting chemical signals. Maybe their inactivity is age-related—too young or too old to contribute. However, the researchers haven't completely ruled out the possibility that some ants are simply selfish.
8. Neat and Compact Indoor Toilets
Ants have some fascinating bathroom habits. A study conducted by biologists at the University of Regensburg on 21 lab-grown colonies of black garden ants revealed that these creatures establish at least one designated area for bathroom purposes, which proves to be a clever strategy in a crowded nest.
To track the ants' waste, the insects were fed a sugar solution colored with food dye, which turned their feces blue or red. This allowed the researchers to monitor the frass (waste). Soon, distinct piles of colored waste appeared in certain corners of their nests.
In contrast, dead ants, food scraps, and other debris were discarded outside the nest, leading scientists to wonder why the ants keep their frass confined to special “rooms” inside the nest.
There are several possible explanations: the waste could possess antimicrobial properties, serve as nourishment for the larvae, mark the ants' territory, or even be repurposed as building material for the nest.
7. Entering the Pesticide Market
An unexpected ally has emerged in the quest to meet future global food demands sustainably. According to a review published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, ants could prove to be more effective than pesticides, while also being safer and more affordable.
This review draws from recent studies examining the use of weaver ants as a natural pest control method for various crops in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Australia. When ants were deployed to deter pests, crop yields—from cashews to citrus and mango trees—were just as productive, or even more successful, than those treated with pesticides.
Most of the research has focused on weaver ants, known for their tree-dwelling lifestyle and territorial nature. These ants control vast territories—from the treetops to the ground—and aggressively defend their domain against any intruders.
This is why they have been utilized as agricultural pests for over a thousand years. However, other ant species have shown similar pest-control abilities.
6. Forever Young
Some ant species seem to have discovered the fountain of youth. Scientists report that ants from the species Pheidole dentata are immune to senescence (biological aging).
Throughout their 140-day lifespan in the lab, these ants showed no signs of aging, such as increased cell death in the brain or a decrease in key neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin.
In fact, the older ants were more energetic and even enhanced certain skills, like their ability to track scents longer than the younger ants. Researchers believe the ants' highly effective social structure may help maintain their vitality.
However, they are not immortal, which raises the question of how ants meet their end. Since the study did not address the final days of the ants, scientists speculate that they undergo some form of aging process right before death.
5. A Blueprint for Robotics
No obstacle can stop the relentless march of army ants. If there’s a gap between them and a sought-after target (typically food), they will stretch their bodies across the void to form a tangled “living” bridge.
While this behavior is not new, recent research by Princeton University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology has revealed more about the complexity of these living bridges.
Their study shows that even without a leader, the ants work together in a highly coordinated manner, adapting to their environment and weighing the costs and benefits. For example, they assess whether it’s better to keep their workers in the bridge or repurpose them for other tasks.
These findings may prove valuable in the field of robotics. Drawing inspiration from army ants, swarms of robots could be deployed for tasks such as exploration or rescue missions.
4. The Ant-Idote
Fire ants are infamous for their painful sting. And then there are crazy ants—a name that speaks volumes about their erratic behavior. Both species are well-known invasive pests, posing a threat to the ecosystem.
When these two species clash, an unrelenting battle ensues. However, a study by researchers at the University of Texas has shown that this ant conflict is predominantly one-sided.
While fire ants have an extremely toxic venom, crazy ants carry the cure. When splashed with the deadly toxin from fire ants, crazy ants release a drop of formic acid— their own chemical defense. They cover themselves in the acid to neutralize the poison, then jump right back into the fight.
This study reveals how crazy ants (also known as tawny crazy ants or raspberry crazy ants) were able to end the long-standing reign of fire ants in the southern United States. As crazy ants appear determined to take over the region, the potential costs for both the American economy and the ecosystem could be significant.
3. Self-Medication in Action
Ants are aware when they’re unwell. They also know exactly what they need to heal, making them part of the group of animals that use plants to self-medicate in a process known as zoopharmacognosy.
A study by the University of Helsinki revealed that ants infected by a life-threatening fungus chose to consume food containing hydrogen peroxide—normally toxic to them—as a means to combat the infection.
These ants, which belonged to the Formica fusca species, were given access to this treatment, but only the infected ants consumed it in an effort to improve their survival odds.
Additionally, the ants were cautious not to consume too much of the substance, as it typically kills healthy ants. This medicinal substance can also be found in aphids or decaying ants.
2. Changing Careers
Research from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland found that ants, much like honeybees, shift roles throughout their lives, seamlessly integrating into a complex age-based hierarchy within the colony.
In a study involving six carpenter ant colonies, each ant was marked with a unique symbol detectable by a computer and tracked by a camera over the course of 41 days. The results revealed that, as they grew older, the ants tended to take on riskier tasks.
Initially, the ants began their lives as nurses, tending to the queen and larvae, then transitioned into cleaner roles, and eventually became foragers. With the exception of the cleaners, ants from each specific job group rarely interacted with those outside their profession, likely for efficiency.
There were a few deviations from this typical age-based job progression. Some ants were more driven by personal preference, sticking with a single role throughout their lives or opting for higher-profile positions early on.
1. Unwavering Clean-Up Crew
Thanks to their insatiable appetites, ants and other arthropods provide vital sanitation services in places like New York City. A study by North Carolina State University demonstrated that these small creatures are capable of consuming tons of garbage scattered across the streets.
Researchers placed dishes of junk food throughout Manhattan, with some boxes specifically designed to allow only small insects to access them. The team revisited the locations the following day to check on the results.
By measuring how much food had been consumed within 24 hours, they determined that the pavement arthropods (the insects commonly seen along the streets) can consume up to 6 kilograms (14 lbs) of waste per block annually.
This is a significant contribution, especially considering that New York City generates around 3 million tons of garbage each year. The ants’ voracious appetites also help curb rat populations since both ants and rats compete for food.
