So far, scientists have figured out the molecular mechanism of the parasitic interaction between fungus and ant that forms the basis of the behavioral manipulation, according to a 2020 study.

A new genetics study of ant “social parasites” shows how complex sets of features can emerge rapidly and potentially split species. When the researcher Daniel Kronauer was still a postdoc in 2008, he ...

Jess Thomson is a Newsweek Science Reporter based in London UK. Her focus is reporting on science, technology and healthcare. She has covered weird animal behavior, space news and the impacts of ...

Researchers now reveal more about the mind-bending workings of this tiny parasite. It takes over the brains of ants, causing them to cling to the tops of blades of grass where they can be eaten by ...

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or ...

The parasitic fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, commonly known as the zombie-ant fungus, infects ants and manipulates their ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Crickets are parasites—for some ant colonies. The species of ant ...

For an infected ant during those initial honeymoon weeks, despite carrying and nourishing a growing parasite inside its head, life is pretty much business as usual; the ant looks and behaves ...

Then, like flicking a switch, the parasite can let go of the puppet strings and the ant will be roused, dazed, and left to go about its business until the next takeover when conditions cool once more.

Clones are produced. The colony thrives. But raider ants are among about 50 species plagued by impostors: parasitic ants that resemble queens. They greedily eat the colony’s food, but shirk ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Just in time for spooky season, scientists have learned more about ...