Recently English scientists began a surprising experiment with colony of wood ants, inhabitants of the region Midlands around the city of Birmingham. About 1000 insects are equipped with modern radio transmitters. Devices will prompt to scientists-mirmekologam of a way of movement of colony and also fuller information on eating habits of ants and other secrets of the amazing world of Hymenoptera.
Ant colonies long since struck researchers with a complex system of communication and habits which suggest an idea about existence of intelligence at these insects. The special science about ants – a mirmekologiya – found out a set of curious details about life of Hymenoptera.
So, doctor Helen Forrest from the American research Ratgersky university said that ants, representatives of 25 studied types, at communication make certain sounds, closing jaws and rubbing pads. The Novosibirsk researchers proved that simple arithmetic actions are available to this insects – they consider within several dozen, will read and put. This knowledge is necessary to colony by search of livelihood.
In 2010 in the scientific British magazine Biology Letters there were published sensational researches of research associates of Harvard led by David Hughes. Scientists assure that already 48 million years of Hymenoptera wood borers brainwash Ophiocordyceps unilateralis parasitic fungi. This fact is confirmed by the fossil traces found in Germany. According to Hughes, disputes of parasitic fungi sprout in muscles and a brain of ants and subordinate an insect to themselves, forcing it to leave colony. The infected hermit goes to the places optimum for a mushroom on indicators of temperature and humidity. The ant postpones disputes there. According to the story by biologists, the mushroom forces it to be attached to a bottom side of a leaf approximately in 25 cm from the earth and to stand. Then the insect perishes, and the parasite lets grow a new box with disputes. Having got enough sleep on the earth, they become potentially dangerous to other ants carriers. Despite all achievements of science about ants, there is still a set of more or less fantastic secrets about life and habits of ants which scientists only should solve. In the County of Derbyshire (Great Britain) the representatives of the University of York found the unique site with thousands of ant hills of Formica lugubris – the hairy Hymenoptera included in the Red List. On backs of some representatives of a look it is decided to install radio-receiving devices of 1 mm in size everyone. It will allow to learn, in particular, more about ways of communication of ants. Representatives of the University of York hope that additional knowledge of mirmekolog can be used, in particular, in modern telecommunication networks. Ecologists hope that radio transmitters will allow ants to live normally and will help to improve the habitat of all species of public insects.