The Victoria Bug Zoo is home to dozens of species of insects and arachnids, and two leaf cutter ant colonies. There's the new colony, with a three year old queen whose kingdom grows every day. If all ...

Butterflies can seem friendly and harmless. But at least one type has learned to raise its young as parasites, tricking ants into feeding it and giving special treatment. The pupae of the European ...

The ant species Myrmica schencki carries the butterfly larvae to its lair, believing that the larvae is its own. Once inside the butterfly larvae are able to deliver the same chemicals as ant larvae ...

Clonal raider ants carrying and grooming larvae. Ants were tagged with colored dots to allow for behavioral observation. Credit: Daniel Kronauer Many ant species have a queen, the member of the colony ...

Leptothorax acervorum ants' reproductive strategy depends on habitat. Colonies are functionally monogynous (only one queen reproduces) on sun-exposed slopes in Alaska, Hokkaido and the mountains of ...