We all know insects are ingenious creatures: they fly, they crawl, they swim, they burrow… but can they hitchhike? In fact, our cars are becoming the latest Uber for an invasive ant species, and scientists are sounding the alarm.
Six-legged stowaway
Scotty Yang, a distinguished entomologist at Virginia Tech, has been closely watching an intriguing pattern unfold before our very eyes — and it's not about the ants that occasionally find their way into our picnic baskets.
We're talking about entire colonies of ants, queen included, viewing our car as their own Uber. Yang's research is pioneering in highlighting this fascinating phenomenon.
“I saw social media posts from people who were heartbroken after finding their cars covered in ants and I felt sorry for them, but I wanted to find out if there was any commonality between these incidents,” Scotti said.
His quest for answers led him to Taiwan, where he conducted research on nine species of ants that use vehicles as personal vans.
Seven of these species were invasive, which are common species that have been slightly altered to adapt to new environments.
How ants travel by car
Scotti's study compiled reports from people across Taiwan who had seen ants on their cars, and his citizen-led approach allowed him to collect data on a large scale.
His research has revealed that ants are not picky about their choice of vehicle: They can be found inside and outside cars, and even under the hood.
Great climbing ability
Common characteristics of these hitchhiking ants were their climbing ability, foraging habits, and temperature tolerance.
Ants are small but powerful and excellent climbers: Their feet are equipped with claws for gripping uneven surfaces like metal or plastic, and sticky pads that provide temporary adhesion for walking on smooth surfaces like glass.
This allows the ants to travel between different parts of the vehicle, improving their hitchhiking success rate.
Foraging and colonization
When food sources are scarce, ants are more likely to explore new areas and turn to vehicles for transportation.
Overcrowded colonies or those facing resource limitations are more likely to establish new nests. Scout ants may encounter a vehicle while searching for a new nest site and turn it into a mobile home.
High temperature resistance
The temperature of a car can vary greatly depending on weather conditions. Ants are ectotherms, so they get their body temperature regulated from outside sources.
They survive based on their ability to find the right place that provides the right temperature for their physiological processes, therefore assessing the microclimate inside the car is crucial for their survival.
Ants invading a car
This is more than just a nuisance on your commute: invasive insects can overwhelm native species, harm crops and disrupt ecosystems.
“Tracking invasive insects and understanding how they spread is an important research topic for entomologists because these creatures can pose a threat to native plants and animals,” Scotti emphasizes.
Where once its spread was limited to logs and soil, it now extends into your daily commute.
Why do ants choose cars?
Overcrowding appears to be the main factor driving ants to hitch a ride and seek out new habitats. Invasive species are particularly susceptible to this behavior, which has implications around the world. The United States, for example, is struggling with invasive ants like the notorious fire ant.
“Five of the top 100 most invasive species in the world are ant species, and two of those species are already established in Virginia: the red fire ant and the Argentine ant,” Scotti said.
Hitchhiking allows these ants to move quickly to new territories, and Scotti hopes to start similar citizen science projects to track the ants' spread in the US.
His advice is not to worry, but if you find an unexpected passenger, it's a good idea to give the interior of your car a good vacuuming as a reminder of the interconnectedness of the world.
Ants lead fast-paced lives
Scotty Yang's fascinating research into the hitchhiking behavior of ants sheds light on an overlooked aspect of the spread of invasive species. His findings also highlight the impact of human activities on natural ecosystems.
This surprising relationship between ants and cars reinforces our appreciation of the interconnectedness of the world and how even the tiniest creatures play a vital role in shaping our environment, even if they are invisible to the naked eye.
The study is published in the journal Ecological Entomology.
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