There is a species that can live up to three times longer, but not at all sympathetic: the ant that never ages does nothing from morning to night.
Alchemists have unsuccessfully tried for decades, but what the sorcerers of the past failed to do was instead accomplished by Temnothorax ants.
Before the surprising discovery, Temnothorax ants were considered by researchers to be rather “boring”: their society is in fact organized in a conventional manner. The tasks of the invertebrates revolve around the predominant role of the queen, of which the “simple” ants must first take care of the eggs and then be assigned to tasks to be performed outside the anthill.
The recent discovery of the entomologists of the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, however, has put these little beings, especially those belonging to a variety present in Germany, in the spotlight of the scientific community. It seems, in fact, that some Temnothorax ants enjoy the enviable advantages of an elixir of eternal youth.
What is the secret of the eternal youth of German ants
The secret lies in a tapeworm that settles in the abdomen of the ants from the feces of birds or some eggs on which they feed. By assimilating nutrients from within, the absolutely beneficial parasite repays its hosts with a very substantial life extension. We’re talking about two or three times the average lifespan of an uninfected ant (yet this is the longest-lived animal on Earth).
The researchers were able to observe it directly, separating tapeworm-carrying and non-carrying ants into two groups. The result was that, at the end of the observation period, half of the tapeworm-carrying ants were still alive, unlike the specimens belonging to the other group, which all died.
Why non-aging ants are a problem
Another relevant aspect has to do with the side effects of the symbiotic relationship. At first glance, the scientists didn’t observe any downside to the coin: beyond long life and a very very slow fading youth, the tapeworm ants were well-liked within the anthill, even by the queen ant, who was far from inclined to offer attention to the lower hierarchies.
Widening their gaze, however, the entomologists realized that the negative externality of the parasite consisted of the “social price” paid by the ant community. Lazing around all day, however, kissed by the affection of their fellows, the infected ants offload their hard work onto the healthy specimens, who age and die earlier precisely because of a dysfunctional organization of work.
In short, besides being an interesting scientific fact, the parable of the Temnothorax ants also seems to have a moral that teaches us how important solidarity and equality are in an organized society.
Amongst the other wonders of the animal world, the music (that we can listen to) of an unwanted guest of our cellars.
Giuseppe Giordano