... be monogamous, providing the first evidence that kin selection is fundamental to the evolution of social insects.
Dr Hughes said: "We have produced the first conclusive evidence that kin selection ...
... fire ants, exist in a sophisticated social hierarchy. Unlike other animals that travel in packs, these social insects will literally sacrifice their own survival in support of their hives, nests and ...
... for example, why sterile workers evolved in social insect groups and why a honeybee would ... Darwin recognized that such altruistic behaviour in highly social insect groups was at odds with his theory ...
... by pathogens from the corpse. The predominant understanding among entomologists – scientists who study insects – was that dead ants release chemicals created by decomposition (such as fatty acids) ...
... and recruiting the next generation of naturalists and conservationists.
However, the low representation of social insects and annelids in the children's drawings relative to the actual numbers of ...
... - the University of Sussex has installed the UK's only Professor of Apiculture. Professor Francis Ratnieks will head the newly-created Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects at the University...
... by relationships even in insects like fruit flies, which have not been traditionally considered to be social insects. We have seen individual responses that appear to be altered quickly--within a day ...
... the number of things they can juggle in their head at one time."
Until now it was assumed that all social insects had similarly limited memories. But the new work shows that at least one species of ...
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists studying social insect behaviour have discovered a remarkable example of self-sacrifice in a species of ant found in Brazil.
In colonies of social insects the struggle for the spoils is embodied by a reproductive division of labor. Some individuals (the queens) reproduce, while large and small workers provide the labor. ...
... has also helped leaf-cutter ants become dominant herbivores, and one of the most successful social insects in nature. According to an article in the November issue of Microbiology Today, leaf-cutter ...
... these results apply to the other tasks performed by these ants, or other ant species, or even social insects more generally, remains to be verified. Dorrnhaus's next step is investigating "switching ...
... benefits to human industry.
Dornhaus, who studies social insects, wanted to see if this applied to ants ... do science because I think it's cool to find out how the world works, specifically how social ...
... over 50 million years. Just as farming helped humans become a dominant species, it has also helped leaf-cutter ants become dominant herbivores and one of the most successful social insects in nature.
... the red "A" on the bosom of Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter."
Social insects, such as ants, bees and wasps, rely heavily on chemical signals to communicate. While earlier ...
