Melbourne Invaded by Giant Ant Colony

Like some B-movie horror story, a giant colony of Argentine ants stretching 62 miles has been discovered in Melbourne, Australia, threatening the local insect population.

In Argentina, the ants are “highly aggressive towards one another,” said Monash University entomologist Elissa Suhr, who has studied the giant Argentine ant colony. She said the ants had changed genetically during their voyage from Argentina, altering their behavior.

“Two Argentine ants [in Australia] from quite different locations won’t be aggressive toward one another and so they will work together to combat other, native ants, and that’s the method that they use to invade,” Suhr told local radio.