Articles for tag: Ants

Red ants that are part of the same colony.

The Secret Wars Beneath Our Feet: How Ant Colonies Spy on and Sabotage Each Other

Annette Uy

Beneath the surface of our everyday lives, a world of intrigue and espionage unfolds that rivals even the most complex human conflicts. Ant colonies, though often overlooked due to their size, engage in sophisticated warfare that includes spying and sabotage. These tiny creatures operate in a universe of strategy and cunning, where the stakes are ...

Ant colony

How Supercolonies of Ants Function Like One Giant Organism

Annette Uy

Imagine a bustling city, not of humans but of ants, where each individual has a specific role, yet they all work together as if they are parts of a single organism. This is the reality of ant supercolonies, fascinating natural phenomena that blur the lines between individual and collective existence. These supercolonies are like a ...

macro photofraphy of black ant

The Ants That Farm Mushrooms Underground

Suhail Ahmed

  They live in darkness, yet their work feeds entire cities of their own making. Deep below forest floors across the Americas, farming ants grow fungi the way we raise crops, tending gardens with a care that feels startlingly familiar. The mystery is how such tiny bodies coordinate climate control, disease management, and supply chains ...

a group of red ants crawling on a tree

How Ant Colonies Build Underground Cities That Rival Ours

Suhail Ahmed

Some cities hum with glass and steel; others pulse in damp darkness, sculpted grain by grain. Scientists are peering into those hidden realms and finding deliberate order where we once saw chaos. The mystery is simple to state and thrilling to solve: how do tiny insects, with no architect or blueprint, build sprawling networks that ...

This Ant Explodes Its Own Body to Defend the Colony

This Ant Explodes Its Own Body to Defend the Colony

Annette Uy

If you think superhero movies have the most epic sacrifices, wait until you meet the “exploding ant.” It’s a creature so brave, so utterly selfless, that when danger looms over its family, it turns itself into a living grenade. Deep in the rainforests of Southeast Asia, some ants have evolved a defense mechanism so shocking, ...

a group of ants crawling on a tree branch

Ants: Tiny Farmers, Architects, and Pest Controllers

Suhail Ahmed

They build underground cities without blueprints, farm food they can’t live without, and patrol crops like tireless bodyguards. For decades, ants were cast as picnic thieves and kitchen invaders, yet the real story is far wilder and far more useful to us. Scientists now read ant societies as living laboratories for agriculture, engineering, and sustainable ...

How Some Plants Lure and Trap Ants to Act as Their Personal Bodyguards

How Some Plants Lure and Trap Ants to Act as Their Personal Bodyguards

Annette Uy

Imagine a world where plants have their very own security detail, tirelessly guarding them against herbivores and other threats. It might sound like something out of a fantasy novel, but in the natural world, this is a reality. Some plants have evolved fascinating strategies to recruit ants as their personal bodyguards. These remarkable relationships are ...