While many people know that ants defend aphids and aphids provide food for the ants, there is more to this relationship than meets the eye.
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Bait, shields and wedding gifts – object use in insects
I wrote before about bumblebees rolling balls to get a reward or just for fun. This shows that in laboratory conditions insects can learn to use human-made objects. But what do we know about how insects use objects in nature?
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Unwanted guests – blue butterfly caterpillars in ants’ nests
Some caterpillars (for example blue butterflies) need ants to survive and develop into adults. They spend a large part of their development in ants’ nests and trick the hosts into feeding them. Here is their story.
Read moreDid you know that ants’ brains can grow or shrink depending on their role in the nest?
Many species of ants live in colonies with fixed reproductive roles: one or more queens that lay the eggs, and many sterile workers who forage […]
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