Douglas, Quenqua. "War of the Ants Intensifies in U.S." The
New York Times.
25 Feb. 2013. Web. 25 Feb. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/science/ant-species-losing-ground-to-venomous-kind.html?ref=science&_r=0
The
article “War of the Ants Intensifies in U.S.” explains the study and
significance of ant species losing ground to a venomous kind in North America.
Argentine ants, one of the species studied, dominate many parts of the U.S.
through forming “super colonies,” which are groups of thousands of these ants.
From this, they are able to swarm and conquer any prey in very large numbers,
but now another species is pushing back: the Asian needle ant. This type of ant
has a venomous stinger that kills its prey, making it a very powerful ant.
Eleanor Spicer Rice, senior science editor at Verdant World, decided to take up
a study on these two species after noticing the presence of the Asian needle
ant in a North Carolina office park. She observed in 2008 that the Argentine
ants populated 99% of sites in the park, whereas the Asian needle ants
populated only 9%. Three years later, the Argentine ants only populated 67%,
and the Asian needle populated 32%.
This
rapid increase of the Asian needle ant from this study is very important for
scientists to take note of, considering the ant is dangerous towards humans.
Its poisonous stinger can cause weeks of burning and itching after only one
sting. Also, the venom can lead to much more severe reactions for victims who
are allergic. Asian needle ants have an advantage over the Argentines and other
ants because of their activeness in cool weather (most ants rest during this
weather). From this, other ants and predators would have difficulty suppressing
the ants rapid increase in population, which will prove to hurt people if
nothing is done.
The
article was an interesting read, but had a few problems. For example, I wished
there was more information on the study itself, like how Eleanor claimed those
percentages of populations and/or other research she did on the subject. Also,
the article was not structured to nicely, considering it switched back and
forth between points. Other than this, I enjoyed the article.
The reviewer did a great job of reviewing "War of the Ants Intensifies" by Quenqua Douglas. Firstly, the review presented the facts of the article both plainly and clearly, allowing the reader to enjoy a succinct yet succulent summary. I appreciated the explanation of both the Asian Needle ant and the Argentine ants as it helped me better understand each specific species and the consequences they can invoke upon society. The reviewer's use of statistics was much appreciated as they allowed for a better understanding of the growth of the Asian Needle ant, giving the reader a better perspective of the speed at which the population is growing and overtaking its competitors.
ReplyDeleteWhile this review was well done, there are a couple of things that could have been done to make it even better. I would have liked to have read more about the ways in which the study was conducted and what will be done going forward. I felt that that particular segment of the review was rather bare. In addition, I would have liked to have read more about the potential consequences of an invasive species, such as the Asian Needle ant growing significantly in areas around the United States.
I was very interested by the significant ability to harm that these ants possess even as individuals. When one imagines ants, it is hard to imagine them doing much harm, especially on their own, but these Asian Needle ants have the ability to use their stinger and poisonous venom to kill many enemies and invoke significant discomfort among even humans.
I thought Thomas’ review of “War of the Ants Intensifies in U.S.” was very informative and interesting. One thing I really liked about the review is the fact that it included a lot of detail. Also, I learned about Argentine ants that are forming super colonies. I learned that the super colonies, because of sheer number, can conquer any prey. Thomas nicely summarized the information and presented the reader with the interesting and important information. I also thought that this was a very good article choice since it is a very peculiar topic, which made it very interesting. I also liked how Thomas included both species of ants in a clear way; he clearly explained the difference between the Asian needle ant and the argentine ant.
ReplyDeleteI thought the review could have mentioned more about the studies from the article since they were very interesting. I also think that the review could have included more information about the ants and what scientists think about them.
This article was very interesting because I learned that Asian needle ants are very dangerous and can cause weeks of burning and itching in humans only from one sting. This is very worrying since I do not usually think of ants to be something to be afraid of.
The review of “Ant Species Losing Ground to Venomous Kind” was informative and concise. The reviewer clearly distinguishes between Argentine and Asian needle ants. He also mentions why the fact that Asian needle ants taking over Argentine ants territory is important. The reviewer mentions that while the Argentine ants pose no direct threat to humans, Asian needle ants can sting humans and cause burning and itching for weeks. The reviewer also shows how the ant population is changing over the years with percentages from the article.
ReplyDeleteThe review put the article into a precise form, but some minor details could have been added, this was due in part to the actual article being short. It would have been beneficial to add the particular reason for the increase of Asian needle ants in the area and how this could cause the Argentine ants to eventually become endangered as a species. Also, adding the precautions humans can take to prevent encountering these ant stings. Again, this is because the article didn’t go into great depth about the entire study.
I thought the article and review were interesting to read. I am curious to know why these ants are appearing more frequently in the areas usually inhabited by the other ants. I also didn’t even know that there were any kind of ants that could be harmful to humans, it was interesting to know that the Asian needle ants can sting humans.