Mystery of floating fire ants solved
Friday, April 29, 2011 - 21:00
in Biology & Nature
When the insects jam together, air bubbles trapped on their body hairs form a protective layer that enables them to float, scientists say.The mystery behind the remarkable ability of fire ants to turn themselves into a living, crawling life raft has been unlocked by scientists: The insects use air pockets that form around their bodies to keep themselves from drowning.