When a founding desert ant queen is ready to establish her own colony, the harsh environment compels her to do something that no other queen would ever dare do: share her territory with other queens.

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 ...

Ants’ frenzied movements may seem aimless and erratic to a casual observer, but closer study reveals that an ant colony’s collective behavior can help it thrive in a harsh environment and may also ...

A desert ant species constructs mounds to use as navigational landmarks, which help them find their way home in their otherwise flat Saharan habitat. Desert ants are famous for their wayfinding skills ...

At first glance, the Sahara Desert looks devoid of any life, and that’s a logical inference given the region’s astronomical daytime temperatures. But a closer look at the ground reveals quite the ...

In a fascinating new study from the September/October 2006 issue of Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Daniel A. Hahn (University of Florida) explores the ability of ants to store excess fat and ...

Millions of years before humans discovered agriculture, vast farming systems were thriving beneath the surface of the Earth. The subterranean farms, which produced various types of fungi, were ...

Groundbreaking tracking technology that has revealed new insights into how desert ants navigate their complex worlds could inspire the next generation of smart, efficient robots. An international ...

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 ...

Millions of years before humans discovered agriculture, vast farming systems were thriving beneath the surface of the Earth. The subterranean farms, which produced various types of fungi, were ...