Editor’s Pick
JULY 2, 2009 8:32AM
I'd Like To Be The First To Welcome Our New Ant Overlords
I Would Like To Be The First To Welcome Our New Ant Overlords Read this fascinating article today about a recent scientific discovery that one particular colony of Argentine ants has secretly been taking over the world for some time now.
In Europe, one vast colony of Argentine ants is thought to stretch for 6,000km (3,700 miles) along the Mediterranean coast, while another in the US, known as the "Californian large", extends over 900km (560 miles) along the coast of California. A third huge colony exists on the west coast of Japan.The money quote from the site (located in the big green box on the source article):
While ants are usually highly territorial, those living within each super-colony are tolerant of one another, even if they live tens or hundreds of kilometres apart. Each super-colony, however, was thought to be quite distinct.
But it now appears that billions of Argentine ants around the world all actually belong to one single global mega-colony.
The enormous extent of this population is paralleled only by human society
That is just awesome. More fascinating to me is the fact that separate branches of the colony located in Japan, the U.S., and Europe retain some weird memory of each other, and will refuse to fight members from other colonies.
According to this article from 2004, the ants have also penetrated the continent of Australia, and are probably formenting a super colony there as well.
Of course, not everyone is convinced about this so-called "ant supercolony." I suspect when the apocalypse comes, the scientist in this article (published in 2004) will be the character pish-pawing the threat in briefings to the President, until tragically it is too late.
According to this article from 2004, the ants have also penetrated the continent of Australia, and are probably formenting a super colony there as well.
Of course, not everyone is convinced about this so-called "ant supercolony." I suspect when the apocalypse comes, the scientist in this article (published in 2004) will be the character pish-pawing the threat in briefings to the President, until tragically it is too late.
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Erin Judge
Catherine Forsythe
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Comments
Rated
Stink-bugs will molest nincompoops.
Sit next to a cute person on airplanes.
Then, they begin to clip their toenails.
Everybody kisses everything with lips.
I'd heard of the Australian ants, but not the Argentinian ants.
Yikes.
Half of it didn't post *growls*
They at least need a better agent.
I have a few thousand of the little buggers traipsing through my guinea pigs' cage as we speak.
The supercolony likes carrots. Be warned.
What a backwards species!
Meanwhile frequent TV ads urge us to cover our entire yards in some sort of chemical that will ensure our children never encounter an ant. Why they need to be protected from seeing ants is not explained, nor do they mention what said chemical might do to the children.
@VR - good to know on the carrot front. It's always important to be aware of the favorite snacks of your overlord, so that you might better please him.
At first the kids didn't like it, but then we gave the ant a name - "Sam the ant" and after that whenever they'd see an ant they'd just say, "There goes Sam the Ant".
And now, neither of them will tolerate harm being brought to any bug, be it spider, ant, bee or whatever.
I remember years ago we bought an ant farm for the kids...and it actually came with a MAGNIFYING GLASS!
Ostensibly it was to better view the little buggers, but seriously, who was the cretin that saw fit to sell kids ants and arm them with a magnifying glass at the same time!?
I know... I'm going to challenge the Queen ant of the original Argentine supercolony to a battle. When I defeat her and take over the throne, I will set my ant army to work producing cheap sweatershirts and t-shirts, outpacing China sweatshop production and becoming a major economic force.
Someone get a Vault Dweller.. or The Mechanist!