The unusual life cycles of ants are deeply rooted in their social nature. Ants and other social insects like termites, some bees, and certain wasps live in colonies, in which most individuals never ...

An international team of scientists from Queen Mary University of London, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Biology Centre ...

At first glance, the world of ants may seem far removed from our everyday lives. Yet, on closer inspection, they often face ...

Witness the fascinating process of ant colony construction in this time-lapse video, "eLapse." Over 54 hours, watch as ants transform a simple sand-filled container into an intricate nest, digging ...

Leafcutter ants of the American tropics exemplify animals that exhibit superorganism status, advanced social organization and symbiosis. As you walk through the jungle you become aware of these ...

Think of it as mathematics with a bite: Researchers at CU Boulder have uncovered the statistical rules that govern how gigantic colonies of fire ants form bridges, ladders and floating rafts. In the ...

In colonies of certain social insects, such as ants, individuals are specialized for particular jobs. For instance, different ants can be responsible for foraging, brood care, nest maintenance, waste ...

Biologist E.O. Wilson once wrote that "ants are the most warlike of all animals," noting that clashes between ant colonies dwarfed the human battles at Waterloo and Gettysburg. But sometimes ant ...

Like a brain, an ant colony operates without central control. Each is a set of interacting individuals, either neurons or ants, using simple chemical interactions that in the aggregate generate their ...