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From today's featured article

Polyergus lucidus queen ant tended to by Formica archboldi workers

A parasitic ant is a type of ant that exploits the social structure of another ant species for its own survival and reproduction. The most common types of parasitic ants infiltrate a colony of a closely related species by using pheromones identical to those of the colony's workers to avoid conflict and blend in. The parasite lays eggs alongside existing ones for the host colony's worker ants to raise and nurture. Other parasitic ants transport the host colony's pupae and larvae back to the parasite's colony, where the brood will be raised as their own. The host brood that were transported are unable to differentiate between the parasites and their own colony, and serve as worker ants for the parasites. Some parasites have adapted their anatomy to reflect that of the hosts, allowing them to remain undetected for much of their lifespans. Parasites usually cause harmful effects to the target colony and can inhibit the colony's growth and development. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

Aeneas Valley, Washington

... that the Great Northern Railway almost came to Aeneas (pictured)?
... that Frenchman Ernest Grandier was the only white prisoner taken by the Zulu during their 1879 war with Britain?
... that a major UK retail CEO criticised the "Not for EU" label as "bureaucratic madness"?
... that at his first international competition, runner Bhupendra Silwal started bleeding when he tried to remove tarmac embedded in his feet?
... that in the 2024 Salvadoran presidential election, there was a 78 percentage point difference between first and second place?
... that NFL player Broc Rutter only received a $279 signing bonus from the San Francisco 49ers?
... that the creators of a botanic database for machine learning included three images of leaves from an extinct relative of the rose?
... that a 1908 glider demonstration at a Bronx airport was successful only after a car replaced a horse for motive power?
... that in 2009, a Japanese man held a wedding ceremony to marry his fictional waifu, with the ceremony broadcast live to thousands of viewers?

In the news

Ascensor da Glória

A derailment on the Ascensor da Glória funicular (pictured) in Lisbon, Portugal, kills 16 people.
A magnitude-6.0 earthquake in Afghanistan leaves more than 1,400 people dead.
Samoa United in Faith wins an absolute majority in the 2025 Samoan general election.
Protests erupt in Indonesia over increased benefits and salaries given to parliament members.

On this day

September 4

Little Rock Central High School

1839 – First Opium War: British vessels opened fire on Chinese war junks enforcing a food sales embargo on the British community on the Kowloon Peninsula.
1886 – After more than 25 years of fighting against the United States Army and the armed forces of Mexico, Geronimo of the Chiricahua Apache surrendered at Skeleton Canyon in Arizona.
1920 – Peasants in and around Križ began a rebellion to protest economic and conscription policies enacted by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
1957 – Governor Orval Faubus deployed the Arkansas National Guard to prevent nine African-American students from attending Little Rock Central High School (pictured).
2007 – Three terrorists suspected to be part of al-Qaeda were arrested in Germany after planning attacks on Frankfurt Airport and Ramstein Air Base.

Stephen Whitney (b. 1776)
Beyoncé (b. 1981)
Steve Irwin (d. 2006)
Syed Mustafa Siraj (d. 2012)

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Today's featured picture

Lady Peak is a mountain located just southeast of Cheam Peak in the Cheam Range near Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. It is west of the four peaks in the eastern portion of the range known as the Lucky Four Group. The peak was named by Arthur S. Williamson, superintendent of the nearby Lucky Four Mine, to honor the Canadian mountaineer Phyllis Munday. This panoramic photograph shows Lady Peak from the trail to Cheam Peak.

Photograph credit: The Cosmonaut

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