For more than 80 years, the Solenopsis Invicta ant species has been on a ceaseless march across the United States, racking up six billion dollars every year in crop damage, equipment repair, and pest control. They have conquered more than 530 000 square miles in 13 U.S. states and killed at least 80 people. Emboldened, they continue their global invasion. Now, scientists are cracking the ants’ ancient secrets to success, enlisting crime scene forensics to track it, and breeding winged assassins to hunt them down.
