'Nothing but a nightmare': Worker ants are tricked into murdering their mom by an imposter queen — who quickly takes the throne for herself Tiny spiders that build giant 'puppet' decoys from ...

If you puncture the ovary of a wasp called Microplitis demolitor, viruses squirt out in vast quantities, shimmering like iridescent blue toothpaste. “It’s very beautiful, and just amazing that there’s ...

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A particularly gruesome example of insect zombification occurs when parasitic wasps lay their ...

In this photo, the parasitic ant queen Lasius orientalis (left) infiltrates the nest of Lasius flavus and apporaches their queen (right). The parasite will then spray the host queen and trick the ...

Researchers detail a parasitic strategy, first observed in a blog post, where an invading ant queen uses a chemical spray to compel host workers into killing their own mother Researchers report on a ...

Nature can get downright brutal in the most unexpected ways—especially when parasites are involved. For the well-organized society of ants, some parasites are known to topple the existing social order ...

Entomologist Jessica Purcell calls the learned behavior “a new height of exploitation” Getty Parasitic queen ants infiltrate rival ant colonies and trigger workers to kill their own queen The takeover ...

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. A newly identified ...

Scientists have just identified two previously unknown species of parasitic wasps living in the United States. The discovery is described in a study in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research led by ...

Ants use 'chemical warfare' to compel host workers to kill their own queen, reveals new research. Scientists have observed for the first time an invading ant queen using a chemical spray to compel ...