News Animals

A clever molecular trick extends the lives of these ant queens

The matriarchs extend their lives by blocking a part of a molecular pathway linked to aging

A queen Harpegnathos saltator ant on a gray backdrop

Queen Harpegnathos saltator ants, like this one, outlive their worker subjects by blocking a molecular pathway involved in aging, a new study suggests.

Hua Yan/NYU

By Darren Incorvaia

For some ant queens, the secret to long life might be a self-produced insulin blocker.

Ant queens are famously long-lived, even though they shouldn’t be. Generally, animals that put lots of energy into reproduction sacrifice some time off their life.