Ants living in New York City are consuming large amounts of junk food, according to a new study from North Carolina State University. More than 100 ants representing 21 species were collected and examined as part of this study.
Isotope levels of nutrients in ants show that some, but not all, of the insects have developed a taste for human junk food. Isotopes are varieties of atoms that possess differing numbers of neutrons within their nucleus.
One particular isotope of carbon, known as carbon-13, is found in large quantities in corn, sugar cane and grasses. These atoms then pass to animals and can be detected in processed foods, including meats consumed by humans. Carbon-13 can, therefore, be detected in ants who eat foods created for our own species.
"We wanted to learn more about why some ant species are able to live alongside us, on sidewalks or in buildings, while other species stay on the outskirts of human development. This could also help us determine which species are doing the most to clean up our trash," Clint Penick, a postdoctoral researcher at NC State, said.
This new study could help reveal why some ants thrive so well in urban environments.
Ants who live on sidewalks and highway medians were found to have higher levels of carbon-13 than those collected in parks. A correlation was found between how close ants lived to humans and how much carbon-13 was found in their bodies. The insects living in close quarters with people were found to eat the largest quantities of human food.
"Medians actually make a pretty good place for ants to nest because there's a little bit of dirt there, there's some trees and some other plants, and there's a trash can at either end — so there's some food sources there that humans are providing," said Penick.
Tetramorium Sp. E. was found to have the highest carbon-13 levels of any species examined in the study.
Ants species living in New York City usually live on honeydew secretions, a sticky, sugary liquid produced by some aphids as they feed on plant sap, as well as smaller insects. It is uncertain how the consumption of human foods could affect the insects or if they may be missing out on critical nutrients supplied by their normal diet. It is unlikely that ants would develop diabetes or other health problems normally associated in humans with the consumption of junk food, as the insects appear to remain healthy on a sugar-rich diet.
One species of ant that has only been found in New York over the last five years, Lasius cf. Emarginatus, was found to eat little to no food created for human beings.
Analysis of the diet of ants living in New York City was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Photo: Samantha Henneke | Flickr
