This archive report was first published on 18 October 2019.
On a scorching desert day, the Saharan silver ant, Cataglyphis bombycina, defies the heat to reach incredible speeds of nearly a metre per second, making it the fastest of the world's 12,000 known ant species, according to a study published on October 18, 2019, in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
Researchers from the Universities of Ulm and Freiburg in Germany tracked down the Saharan silver ant in the Tunisian desert and set up a field lab as a race course. Lead author Sarah Pfeffer explained, "Once we had located a nest, it was simply a matter of connecting an aluminium channel to the entrance and placing a feeder at the end to lure the ants out."
The ants were recorded racing at midday across desert sands that reached 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit), a feat that would be impossible for most living creatures. However, the Saharan silver ant's top speed is not just impressive, but also allows it to outpace its nearest ant competitor, Cataglyphis fortis, despite having significantly shorter legs.
At its fastest, the Saharan silver ant switches from running to a gallop, with all six feet off the ground at regular intervals. This unique gait allows the ant to cover 108 times its own body length per second, a feat topped only by two other creatures, the Australian tiger beetle and the California coastal mite.
