Move over, ant farms — ant hospitals are where the real action is. Scientists studying the behavior of African Matabele ants in Ivory Coast have found that the insects act like paramedics in a crisis, ...

Example of wound care performed with metapleural gland secretions collected from the gland of the individual providing care. The infected ant is marked in white. We first observe wound care by the ...

Just like their mammalian counterparts, many insect species are quite social. Among these social insect colonies, a rather brave sub-Saharan species of termite-eating ant has offered researchers a ...

Sub-Saharan Matabele ants are known to be precision hunters, but it’s their tender side that recently caught the attention of scientists. The ants, officially called Megaponera, often get hurt hunting ...

The antibiotic compounds in their saliva could potentially help scientists find new treatments. By Laura Baisas Published Jan 3, 2024 12:00 PM EST Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 ...

African Matabele ants dress the wounds of comrades injured during hunting raids and nurse them back to health, according to an "astonishing" discovery reported Wednesday. After collecting their ...

Although humans may think we are alone in creating antibiotics, there is a species of ant that secretes an especially powerful one—no pharma lab required. The Matabele ants (Megaponera analis) of ...

The African Matabele ants are often injured in fights with termites. Their conspecifics recognize when the wounds become infected and initiate antibiotic treatment. The Matabele ants (Megaponera ...