Why Do Ants Work So Hard?
Wouterants have been working hard for many years. They help keep the environment clean, and they provide food for animals and plants. They are also a source of pest control. They have been known to ruin picnics, and they have been known to send people scattering when hordes of ants are moving through an area.
Researchers from the University of Arizona and the University of Regensburg found that inactive ants were filling in for the active ants in their ant colonies. When ants were inactive for more than a week, their proportion of inactive ants was much higher than that of active ants.
Researchers examined the ants’ neck joints using CT scanning technology. The ants’ neck joints are a key factor in ant strength. The researchers found that inactive ants were not inactive because of their neck joints, but because they were inactive for other reasons.
The inactive ants were a subspecies of Temnothorax rugatulus ants, a species native to western North America. The researchers found that the lazy individuals of the species are bigger and interact less with their nest mates. They also had a higher proportion of brood items. The higher proportion of brood items may have led to the need for specialised “nurse” workers. These workers may not be able to navigate outside the nest.
These findings suggest that ants may not be as lazy as we may think. They may be performing invisible tasks, and they may be functioning as information relays. The study suggests that this type of laziness may have developed as a form of adaptive behavior.
