vayda on Nostr: 🚨 ARTHROPOD OF THE DAY 🚨 Gamergate: The Bug While in most ant species social ...
🚨 ARTHROPOD OF THE DAY 🚨
Gamergate: The Bug
While in most ant species social castes are permanently established during the larval stage, adult Harpegnathos workers can acquire a queen-like phenotype and become reproductive individuals called “gamergates”. Although they are not morphological queens, workers that become gamergates display a remarkable switch in social behavior and an extensive molecular reprogramming of the brain with hundreds of differentially expressed genes. Workers that become gamergates also attain queen-like longevity, with a fivefold increase in average life span from 7 months to 3 years.
These ants have large eyes and can perceive movement, light and shadows. As a result it is necessary to cover their nest with a red plastic film or something opaque to prevent them from getting stressed.
They are capable of jumping, and in case of danger, they will jump to try to run away.
Gamergate: The Bug
While in most ant species social castes are permanently established during the larval stage, adult Harpegnathos workers can acquire a queen-like phenotype and become reproductive individuals called “gamergates”. Although they are not morphological queens, workers that become gamergates display a remarkable switch in social behavior and an extensive molecular reprogramming of the brain with hundreds of differentially expressed genes. Workers that become gamergates also attain queen-like longevity, with a fivefold increase in average life span from 7 months to 3 years.
These ants have large eyes and can perceive movement, light and shadows. As a result it is necessary to cover their nest with a red plastic film or something opaque to prevent them from getting stressed.
They are capable of jumping, and in case of danger, they will jump to try to run away.