These Ant Queens Live 500% Longer Than Workers. Now We Know Why.

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Upon the death of a queen ant, female worker ants compete to claim the throne. Winning the battle enables the female ant to extend her life by over three years (regular workers can only live for eight months!). This happens because of a protein produced by the new queen, called Imp-L2, which counteracts the effects of insulin in the body. Since a queen ant eats constantly, her body always produces insulin to help produce more eggs. The queen then produces Imp-L2 as a result, helping to extend her life. Read full article here

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