A single breed of Argentine ants is spreading around the world, forming super-colonies hundreds of miles long.


The conquering colony is composed of three distinct super-colonies, one in California (560 miles, or 900 kilometers, long), one along the Mediterranean coast (3,700 miles, or 6,000 kilometers, long) and one in Kobe, Japan.

Because they all share similar genetic make-ups, and familiar chemical cues, the normally hostile ants can maintain friendly relations with nearby groups.

Humans are responsible for accidentally spreading the invasive South American ants around the globe for a century.

The species now inhabits more than a dozen countries and all six of the livable continents.

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