This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American There’s an anime-style visual ...

Physogastric termite queen (top left) of Macrotermes michaelseni being groomed by workers and the larger king, with soldiers in the foreground. Photo by Jan Sobotnik. Termites are among the most ...

In one of nature’s strangest rituals, termite workers obsessively lick their queen not out of affection, but as a vital biological process that can ultimately lead to her death. This video unpacks the ...

Termites reveal a startling consequence of long-term monogamy – the resulting lack of competition between the reproductive sperm of rival males led to the loss of tails in their sperm. This involved ...

A queen Oecophylla smaragdina ant Didier Descouens via Wikimedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 Small animals don’t usually grow very old. Since they’re always at risk of becoming another critter’s quick snack, ...

Physogastric termite queen (top left) of Macrotermes michaelseni being groomed by workers and the larger king, with soldiers in the foreground. Photo by Jan Sobotnik. Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert!