Ants turn unwelcome lodgers into a useful standing army

Mercenary soldiers are notoriously unreliable because their loyalty is as thin as the banknotes they get paid, and they may turn against their employers before moving on to the next dirty job. Not so in fungus-farming ants, ...

Invaders' away-field advantage weaker than ecologists thought

(Phys.org) —For decades, ecologists have assumed the worst invasive species—such as brown tree snakes and kudzu—have an "away-field advantage." They succeed because they do better in their new territories than they ...

Brazilian team finds new porcupine species

A new species of tree-dwelling porcupine has been discovered in Brazil's Northeastern Atlantic Forest, one of the world's most threatened habitats, researchers said.

Lunar cycle determines hunting behavior of nocturnal gulls

(Phys.org) —Zooplankton, small fish and squid spend hardly any time at the surface when there's a full moon. To protect themselves from their natural enemies, they hide deeper down in the water on bright nights, coming ...

The hungry caterpillar: Beware your enemy's enemy's enemy

When herbivores such as caterpillars feed, plants may "call for help" by emitting volatiles, which can indirectly help defend the plants. The volatiles recruit parasitoids that infect, consume and kill the herbivores, to ...

Insects shape the genetic landscape through plant defenses

As restaurant patrons' diverse food preferences give rise to varied menu offerings, so plant-eating insects' preferences play an important role in maintaining and shaping the genetic variation of their host plants in a geographic ...

Parasitoid wasps protect lettuce and celery from pests

Scientists have found that a native British parasitoid wasp has been found to be very effective at controlling the shore flies that infest lettuce and celery greenhouses, damaging crops and annoying farmers.

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