Ants are a dominant family of eusocial terrestrial insects with a diversity of ecologies,
lifestyles and morphologies. Ant diet preferences range from strict carnivory through …

The fossil record allows a unique glimpse into the evolutionary history of organisms living on
Earth today. We discovered a specimen of the stem group ant† Gerontoformica gracilis …

The extraordinary success of social insects is partially based on division of labour, ie
individuals exclusively or preferentially perform specific tasks. Task preference may …

Bite forces play a key role in animal ecology: they affect mating behaviour, fighting success,
and the ability to feed. Although feeding habits of arthropods have a significant ecological …

It is generally assumed that Cretaceous stem ants were obligately eusocial, because of the
presence of wingless adult females, yet the available evidence is ambiguous. Here, we …

Insects evolved various modifications to their mouthparts, allowing for a broad exploration of
feeding modes. In ants, workers perform non-reproductive tasks like excavation, food …

Insects use their mandibles for a variety of tasks, including food processing, material
transport, nest building, brood care, and fighting. Despite this functional diversity, mandible …

The mesosoma is the power core of the ant, containing critical structural and muscular
elements for the movement of the head, legs, and metasoma. It has been hypothesized that …

Small organisms use propulsive springs rather than muscles to repeatedly actuate high
acceleration movements, even when constrained to tiny displacements and limited by …

Abstract Tatuidris tatusia Brown & Kempf, 1968, the armadillo ant, is a morphologically
unique species found in low to high elevation forests in regions of Central and South …