07 April 2011

Alien wasps abduct ants

Now here's an alien abduction story with a difference -- Alien Wasps Abduct, Drop Ants to Get Food:
Looking for a way to banish ants from your picnic? According to a new study, wasps have developed a unique method for dealing with the pests: airlifting them away from the food.

In an experiment done with wild insects, scientists in New Zealand recently witnessed the common wasp, an alien invader to the island country, competing for food with the native ant species Prolasius advenus.

When a wasp approached a mound of food swarming with ants, the wasp would pluck an ant from the pile, fly a ways off, and drop the still-living insect from its jaws.

No comments:

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails