Ant mega-colony takes over world

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Kai
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Ant mega-colony takes over world

Unread postby Kai » Fri Jul 31, 2009 12:51 am

Ant mega-colony takes over world


A single mega-colony of ants has colonised much of the world, scientists have discovered.

Argentine ants living in vast numbers across Europe, the US and Japan belong to the same inter-related colony, and will refuse to fight one another.

The colony may be the largest of its type ever known for any insect species, and could rival humans in the scale of its world domination.

What's more, people are unwittingly helping the mega-colony stick together.

Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) were once native to South America. But people have unintentionally introduced the ants to all continents except Antarctica.

These introduced Argentine ants are renowned for forming large colonies, and for becoming a significant pest, attacking native animals and crops.

In Europe, one vast colony of Argentine ants is thought to stretch for 6,000km (3,700 miles) along the Mediterranean coast, while another in the US, known as the "Californian large", extends over 900km (560 miles) along the coast of California. A third huge colony exists on the west coast of Japan.

While ants are usually highly territorial, those living within each super-colony are tolerant of one another, even if they live tens or hundreds of kilometres apart. Each super-colony, however, was thought to be quite distinct.

But it now appears that billions of Argentine ants around the world all actually belong to one single global mega-colony.


Holy fuck.

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BrainWalker
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Re: Ant mega-colony takes over world

Unread postby BrainWalker » Fri Jul 31, 2009 11:22 am

So what you're telling me is that not only have Argentine ants gone global, and they're better organized than we are?

If these guys ever invent miniature telecommunications, we are fucked.
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KingOfDoma
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Re: Ant mega-colony takes over world

Unread postby KingOfDoma » Sat Aug 01, 2009 3:09 am

Bah! I'll be worried when any household spray or a nice hard boot stomping doesn't take care of them...
Image

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Besyanteo
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Re: Ant mega-colony takes over world

Unread postby Besyanteo » Sat Aug 01, 2009 11:44 am

Suddenly, mecha ninja cyborg ants! Trillions of them!


:zoidberg: : So cool!

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Christian
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Re: Ant mega-colony takes over world

Unread postby Christian » Sat Aug 01, 2009 3:50 pm

Image

Cyborg ants would be kewl, I agree. Until they decide to wage a war against the big'uns.


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