Assassin bug carries victims on its back to fend off enemies

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Assassin bug

The assassin bug is less than a centimeter in length and that is something for which, quite possibly, we can be truly grateful! The bug is found in Malaysia and has a trick up its sleeve once it has finished its dinner. It attaches the empty carcases of its victims on its back – a ploy thought to be an attempt to avoid becoming a victim itself. (Photos)

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Monster supersoldier ants created by genetic scientists

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Scientists created the monster ants in the laboratory by activating ancient ancestral genes.

Monster ‘supersoldier’ ants with huge heads and jaws have been created by activating ancient genes. Scientists believe the monster ants may be a genetic throwback to an ancestor that lived millions of years ago. (Pics)

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Leaderless Ants Create Super Efficient Transport Networks

leaderless ants

Argentine ants connect three nests in an empty arena via the shortest possible network.

Ants are able to connect multiple sites in the shortest possible way, and in doing so, create efficient transport networks, according to a University of Sydney study published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.  The research also revealed the process by which the ants solve network design problems without the help of a leader.

 

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Biologists Discover That Some Ants Eventually Retire

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Some ants do get to retire.

Many adjectives come to mind when thinking about ants, but ‘idle’ likely isn’t among them. But recently biologists discovered that after a lifetime of service in their namesake occupation, older leaf-cutter ants eventually decided to hang their hats, enjoying a retirement of sorts in their golden years. While the study may not appear to have overt real-word implications, researchers insist it may help us better understand our own notions of productivity, especially later in life. “This study demonstrates an advantage of social living that we are familiar with,” says the study’s lead author. “Humans that can no longer do certain tasks can still make very worthwhile contributions to society.”

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