DETECTION OF MAGNETISM IN THE RED IMPORTED FIRE ANT (SOLENOPSIS-INVICTA) USING MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING

Authors
SLOWIK TJ GREEN BL THORVILSON HG
Citation
Tj. Slowik et al., DETECTION OF MAGNETISM IN THE RED IMPORTED FIRE ANT (SOLENOPSIS-INVICTA) USING MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING, Bioelectromagnetics, 18(5), 1997, pp. 396-399
Citations number
8
Categorie Soggetti
Biophysics
Journal title
Bioelectromagnetics → ACNP
ISSN journal
01978462
Volume
18
Issue
5
Year of publication
1997
Pages
396 - 399
Database
ISI
SICI code
0197-8462(1997)18:5<396:DOMITR>2.0.ZU;2-A
Abstract
Red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) workers, queens, and alates were analyzed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the presence of natural magnetism. Images of ants showed distortion patterns similar to those of honey bees and monarch butterflies, both of which possess ferromagnetic material. The bipolar ring patterns of MRI indicated the presence in fire ants of small amounts of internal magnetic material, which may be used in orientation behaviors, as in the honey bees. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.