The Fastest Ant on the Planet Travels Nearly a Meter in a Second

Society » ENVIRONMENT | October 22, 2019, Tuesday // 18:17
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The Saharan silver ant (Cataglyphis bombycina) can overcome almost a meter per second, making it the fastest ant and one of the fastest insects, TASS informs.

This conclusion was made by scientists at the University of Ulm, whose research was published in the scientific journal "Journal of Experimental Biology".

In one second, an ant can travel 108 times the length of its own body. She does it well, though the stride length of this kind can reach a maximum of 7 mm, 10 times that of Usain Bolt, experts say.

The method of movement of the silver ant is remarkable.

"Such a movement, resembling a galloping horse, allows it to be in as little contact with hot sand as possible, which in the Sahara can be heated to 70 degrees Celsius," the scientists explained.

The contact time of the animal with the surface during one ant step is only 7 milliseconds.

Оnly two species of insects move faster than this ant. The Australian tiger beetle (Cicindela hudsoni) can travel 177 times its own body length in one second, and the California mite (Paratarsotomus macropalpis) which can travel 377 times its own body length.

The Saharan silver ant is widespread mainly in North Africa.

The study of the animal is complicated by the fact that it can rarely be seen outside the anthill because, due to the high temperatures and the threat of predators, the insect spends no more than 10 minutes a day on the surface.

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Tags: ant, fastest, Saharan silver ant

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