Amazing Ants:
Horrific Ants:
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| Colobopsis explodensis(Exploding Ants) |
"ZooKeys" the famous journal describes a new horrific and exploding ant that practices "autothysis" which means self-sacrifice.Colobopsis explodensis the ant is a native of Borneo.They live in large colonies inhabiting the leafy canopies of giant trees of the region.They attack their foes by rupturing its own abdomen to release a yellow sticky concoction of toxic substances.
Most interestingly the "ant bomb"squad is especially female.Moreover,a fraction of members of the female squad has large heads that perfectly blocks the entrance of their nests during attacks by predators.
Another ant,Sericomyrmex amabilis,a native of Central America.They hosts a parasite Megalomyrmex symmetochus, also an ant,in its colony and permits it to feed not only on the fungi cultivated in the ant colony but also on their own larvae.The parasite remains unopposed in the colony enjoying the generous hospitality for years.Megalomyrmex symmetochus,the parasite produces an alkaloid venom that wipes out dangerous invaders.The parasite in return get free place,free food and a kind of ant-diplomatic immunity.
The researchers of IISER Kolkata behold that brood theft is common in the Indian queen-less ants(Diacamma indicum) and is regularly practiced to augment their work force.The study suggests that each colony has a small population of "professional thieves",who would engage themselves repeatedly in stealing mainly pupae in large numbers from neighbouring colonies.The colonies they invade are not always defenseless and the ant-thieves have to at times face severe "antenna boxing" and biting by the hosts.For this reason,the ant thieves need to act fast and prefer to target unattended pupae.
The study of North Carolina University revels in a recent issue of Royal Society Open Science,showed that some ant species produce powerful antibiotics that they rub on their body surfaces to escape infections.The finding is particularly attractive in that the antimicrobial have the potential to emerge as alternative therapeutics in the fight against pathogens that are turning resistant to all known antibiotics.Among the ant species investigated,the desert fire ant,a forager,produced powerful antimicrobial substances.Not all ant species studied were however similarly effective in this regard.
The researchers of IISER Kolkata behold that brood theft is common in the Indian queen-less ants(Diacamma indicum) and is regularly practiced to augment their work force.The study suggests that each colony has a small population of "professional thieves",who would engage themselves repeatedly in stealing mainly pupae in large numbers from neighbouring colonies.The colonies they invade are not always defenseless and the ant-thieves have to at times face severe "antenna boxing" and biting by the hosts.For this reason,the ant thieves need to act fast and prefer to target unattended pupae.
The study of North Carolina University revels in a recent issue of Royal Society Open Science,showed that some ant species produce powerful antibiotics that they rub on their body surfaces to escape infections.The finding is particularly attractive in that the antimicrobial have the potential to emerge as alternative therapeutics in the fight against pathogens that are turning resistant to all known antibiotics.Among the ant species investigated,the desert fire ant,a forager,produced powerful antimicrobial substances.Not all ant species studied were however similarly effective in this regard.
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