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Detection of magnetism in the red imported fire ant ( Solenopsis invicta ) using magnetic resonance imaging
Author(s) -
Slowik T.J.,
Green B.L.,
Thorvilson H.G.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
bioelectromagnetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.435
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1521-186X
pISSN - 0197-8462
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1521-186x(1997)18:5<396::aid-bem7>3.0.co;2-y
Subject(s) - fire ant , red imported fire ant , magnetism , formicoidea , magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance , biology , physics , zoology , medicine , aculeata , condensed matter physics , hymenoptera , radiology
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. Bioelectromagnetics 18:396–399, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.