Ants | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/ants/RSS feed for AntsenWed, 24 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000This Newly Discovered Spider Builds a Unique Web That Catapults Ants Through the Airhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-newly-discovered-spider-builds-a-unique-web-that-sends-ants-catapulting-through-the-air-180989003/Flung prey can reach speeds of up to 14.4 feet per second, or a little less than ten miles per hour. An insect will land in the spider's main web about a foot above the spring-loaded trapWed, 24 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-newly-discovered-spider-builds-a-unique-web-that-sends-ants-catapulting-through-the-air-180989003/Ants Can Get Distracted by Cookies, Chips and Other Junk Food. Here’s Why That Could Be a Problem for the Environmenthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ants-can-get-distracted-by-cookies-chips-and-other-junk-food-heres-why-that-could-be-a-problem-for-the-environment-180988962/The insects enjoy snack crumbs, but new research shows that this unnatural food source can divert them from one of their most significant roles: dispersing plant seedsTue, 16 Jun 2026 16:15:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ants-can-get-distracted-by-cookies-chips-and-other-junk-food-heres-why-that-could-be-a-problem-for-the-environment-180988962/