Post by Wood~Ant on Jan 24, 2006 17:01:52 GMT
Taken from the Daily Mail newspaper, Friday 13th Aug.
"The marching column stretches back a staggering 60 miles- countless millions of foot soldiers tramping into the city. Without breaking rank, the alien invaders surge along the streets of Melbourne, scurry through gardens and scramble over walls- and residents can only look on helplessly.
For this is an army of ants. And, from once being an everyday insect that no one in Australia took much notice of, an explosion in their numbers has turned them into a menacing horde.
They pour into homes in search of sustenance, being particularly partial to sweets or the yoke of hard - boiled eggs . But scientists feer the Argentine ants - originally from South America - pose a much wider threat , endangering native species Down Under be disrupting the food chain . Their numbers have swollen because , instead of being aggresive towards one another , which kept the population down - their colonies have for some reason decided to live in harmony .
The non-aggression pact means millions more can breed and thrive - and now biological science research assistant Elissa Suhr has found the 60mile super - colony stretching east to west across Melbourne . The ants , which are about an eighth of an inch long , are voraciously aggressive , fearlessly attacking bigger insects such as wasps , and even small birds and lizards . 'Most people think ants are small and inconsequential', said Miss Suhr . 'But they really do have an enormous role in the ecosystem. Despite looking like a harmless household pest, the Argentine ant has the potential to displace native plants and animals.
The ants, originally from Brazil and Argentina, have now spread to Australia and New Zealand, to California, and to central Europe and Africa. 'In california, they have displaced native ants, decreased insect diversity, affected seed dispersal and decreased lizard numbers, 'said Miss Suhr. 'While I love the way they work, these ants are listed among the world's 100 worst invaders. "
Report from Richard Shears in Sydney, Australia.
"The marching column stretches back a staggering 60 miles- countless millions of foot soldiers tramping into the city. Without breaking rank, the alien invaders surge along the streets of Melbourne, scurry through gardens and scramble over walls- and residents can only look on helplessly.
For this is an army of ants. And, from once being an everyday insect that no one in Australia took much notice of, an explosion in their numbers has turned them into a menacing horde.
They pour into homes in search of sustenance, being particularly partial to sweets or the yoke of hard - boiled eggs . But scientists feer the Argentine ants - originally from South America - pose a much wider threat , endangering native species Down Under be disrupting the food chain . Their numbers have swollen because , instead of being aggresive towards one another , which kept the population down - their colonies have for some reason decided to live in harmony .
The non-aggression pact means millions more can breed and thrive - and now biological science research assistant Elissa Suhr has found the 60mile super - colony stretching east to west across Melbourne . The ants , which are about an eighth of an inch long , are voraciously aggressive , fearlessly attacking bigger insects such as wasps , and even small birds and lizards . 'Most people think ants are small and inconsequential', said Miss Suhr . 'But they really do have an enormous role in the ecosystem. Despite looking like a harmless household pest, the Argentine ant has the potential to displace native plants and animals.
The ants, originally from Brazil and Argentina, have now spread to Australia and New Zealand, to California, and to central Europe and Africa. 'In california, they have displaced native ants, decreased insect diversity, affected seed dispersal and decreased lizard numbers, 'said Miss Suhr. 'While I love the way they work, these ants are listed among the world's 100 worst invaders. "
Report from Richard Shears in Sydney, Australia.