Ant mega-colony takes over world

JBeukema

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Apr 23, 2009
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everywhere and nowhere
species, and could rival humans in the scale of its world domination. What's more, people are unwittingly helping the mega-colony stick together.
Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) were once native to South America. But people have unintentionally introduced the ants to all continents except Antarctica.
These introduced Argentine ants are renowned for forming large colonies, and for becoming a significant pest, attacking native animals and crops.
In Europe, one vast colony of Argentine ants is thought to stretch for 6,000km (3,700 miles) along the Mediterranean coast, while another in the US, known as the "Californian large", extends over 900km (560 miles) along the coast of California. A third huge colony exists on the west coast of Japan.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8127000/8127519.stm

that's... a lotta ants...
 
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