Ants have learned to cope with epidemics

Black ants have been able to recognize infected family members and quarantine them, according to scientists at the University of Lausanne.

In the nest of insects of the species Lasius niger have installed cameras. It turned out that the community is divided into two groups: some are selected and look for objects, others are inside the house and occupy the larvae.

Ants that spend a lot of time outdoors often risk contracting the infection. Scientists have suggested that the spread of the virus in a crowded nest should be extremely fast and likely lead to the death of the community. The researchers decided to discover how insects protect themselves in such situations, they report.

In the experiment, part of the ants infected with parasitic fungi. Even before the first signs of the disease, the behavior of all insects has changed.

Infected persons moved away from their counterparts, appeared only rarely in the nest and almost never met other minors. "Home" as the ants began to carry the larvae to more distant and isolated.

Computer simulations have shown that such measures can actually slow down the epidemic. It is still unclear how ants detect cases, their appearance or their particular smell.

Previously, biologists had discovered that some species of ants were able to kill enemies larger than their size and threw their head next to their house.

About the author

magictr

Ted Stone has been a writer since 2013. Before that, she wrote about the young teens and the family dynamics of Styles. She was a correspondent for the legal affairs of the metro. Before joining The Koz Week, Ted Stone was an editor at Village Voice and freelancer for Newsday, the Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella.