Army Ants Colonies Lose Queen Can But Join New Colony

In the past, scientists have seen that when army ants from different colonies run into one another in nature, fighting closely follows.  However, researchers at the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology recently have found that when a colony of army ants loses its queen, the orphan ants can be adopted by other colonies of army ants, without any fight occurring.  These orphans can become completely integrated members of the new colony within a few days, the time it takes for the odor of the old colony to disappear.  In the research conducted, seven out of ten colonies that were followed exhibited this behavior.  The researchers lost track of two of the remaining three colonies, and the last colony produced small winged males in an effort to try and find another queen and to pass on the genes from the colony. 

Thanks to http://wfsc.tamu.edu/winemiller/lab/UMEB_Experience.htm for the picture.

Article found at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104122532.htm

 

Somersaults Aren’t Just For People

Posted on behalf of Kristiya Kittiviriya:

The mother-of pearl moth caterpillar (Pleurotya ruralis) is a green, fleshy and pretty defenseless little thing. So what’s it to do when it’s in the presence of a predator or disturbance of some sort? Run away? Ha, caterpillars are so slow…except this one.

Original photo found here.

 

“No I in Team”

People are more than capable of taking care of themselves; however, this is not the case for ants. Ants are the epitome of teamwork. Not only do ants have special tasks that they must perform in their colony such as foraging, cleaning or protecting, they also can float on water and build bridges. In these circumstances, some of the ants hold on together with leaves and make a support system for the rest of the colony, and most importantly the queen, to pass. Along with protecting the colony, many of the ants work together to provide food for the rest. In any occasion, one ant would not be able to attack an animal much larger than itself, however, if hundreds of ants attack at once the prey has no chance. In the video below not only do you see the teamwork it takes for a colony to cross water but also how much easier it is for ants with different mouthparts and body sizes to work together to attack their prey.

 

 

Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak

The mountain pine beetle, D. ponderosae, tunnels into living pine trees and lives under the bark. Picture from the New York Times.

The mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae, family Curculionidae) has emerged in recent years as a threat to pine forests throughout the Rocky Mountains of the US and Canada.  These beetles kill trees via the fungus they inject to prevent the movement of sap through trees.  The reasons for the recent outbreak are unclear, but climate change and the forest fire suppression policies of the past 100 years have likely played a role.

 

No Guts, No Glory

Posted on behalf of Kristiya Kittiviriya:

Of course we all know that insects (or basically living things for this matter) have to defend themselves in this cruel, cruel world. Releasing toxins to deter predators is nothing new, but the armored ground cricket (Acanthoplus discoidalis) has an intense way of becoming highly unpalatable. The defense mechanism? Bleeding and puking.

 

Wasps Use Ladybug as Temporary Prisoner for Larvae

Recently, a scientist in Canada has discovered a Braconidae wasp that uses ladybugs (coccinellidae) as a temporary host for its larvae. However, unlike when this family of wasp lays eggs on a caterpillar, killing the caterpillar when the larvae erupt from the eggs, the ladybug is only slightly paralyzed by the egg being attached to its leg. Stranger yet, after the larvae hatches from the egg, and the larvae matures and leaves the host, the ladybug is completely unharmed, and is still able to reproduce and live as though nothing ever happened.

Here is a video of a Braconidae wasp laying eggs on a ladybug. (Thanks to youtube)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYcniJwbqoI

Article found at science daily http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117102046.htm

 

Insects Are the New Mice

Posted on behalf of Julia Gens:

It was recently discovered by scientists that insects, such as some moths and fruit flies, react to microbial infections in the same manner as mammals (reported here).  So what’s the big deal?  This means that insects can be used instead of animals to test the efficacy of new antimicrobial drugs.  They can also be used in determining how virulent fungal pathogens are.

Not only would this reduce the usage of mice for testing by up to 90% but getting results would be quicker as well.  It takes an average of 4-6 weeks to get results when testing with mice, whereas using insects for testing yields results in as little as 48 hours.  And remember: time is money!

Dr Kavanagh presented his research on September 8^th, stating: “we have shown that immune cells in insects and mammals are structurally and functionally similar despite being separated by over 400 million years of evolution.”

 

 

Ant Boat

Floating Fire Ant Colony

I saw a video posted on Youtube showing how fire ants form a giant floating colony with there own bodies.  I think this adaptation is a great example of how eusocial insects work together for the greater good of the colony.

Here is the YouTube Clip from the BBC

Pic:  http://bugguide.net/

 

Orchid’s Deception Attracts Pollinators

Scientists have discovered a compound in a species of Chinese orchids, Dendrobium sinense, that is similar to the chemicals released by bees when they send an alarm message.  This compound attracts predatory hornets which capture honeybees and feed them to their larvae.  Hornets can be observed darting to the flowers only to find that there is no bee to catch.  Instead of flying and landing on the flower, they attack the center and get pollen on their bodies.    The compound that the orchids produce is Z-11-eicosen-1-ol, and has never before been detected in plants.  Hornets were found to be much more likely to attack an orchid or a bee dummy that smelled like an orchid than a dummy with no scent.  This suggests that the compound is essential for hornets to recognize their prey.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806121712.htm     

 

Crazy Raspberry Ants Threaten Texas Beekeepers

crazy raspberry ants attack honey bee

Crazy raspberry ants are an invasive species first found in Houston, TX seven years ago by Tom Raspberry.  They have recently spread all the way to Mississippi and Louisiana this year.  The tiny ants themselves are relatively harmless to humans since they lack venom. They also seem to be doing a good job in controlling fire ants that do poses a venomous sting.   Despite being beneficial in the sense that crazy raspberry ants control fire ants, they can become a major nuisance pest and have been known to short circuit electrical equipment.  Even worse, crazy raspberry ants will attack honey bee hives.