The emergent complexity of ant societies is one of the most fascinating phenomena in the natural world: how do these tiny creatures form such intricate social networks? These networks are so nuanced ...

Young, infected Lasius neglectus ants will send out an altruistic "kill me" signal to worker ants, a new study finds, as part ...

Researchers have observed sick adult ants leaving their colony to avoid sickening others. Now, they've discovered that ...

Deep inside an ant nest, some of the youngest members are primed to die for the group. When infection strikes, these baby ...

Some people change careers, and it seems that the Harpegnathos saltator ant can do the same; worker ants can switch to queen-like figures that are known as gamergates. Worker ants are not able to ...

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 ...

The behavior prevents fungal pathogens from spreading through the colony Researchers call it "altruistic disease signaling" that protects the ant superorganism In a rare example of biological altruism ...

Scientists believe ants change their behavior—and have the insect equivalent of taking a day off sick—when they are exposed to pathogens, in order to protect the colony. The research, published in the ...

It was a cloudy spring day in late March and the temperature was just above 40 degrees. After several days of damp weather and cooler temperatures, I decided to take a walk along the Ice Age Trail on ...

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 ...