von damondeionno » 3. Aug 2009 09:31
When it says they depend on aphid nectar, I wouldn't take it too seriously. The mass media isn't very accurate when it comes to information about ants. Also, aphid nectar would probably make up a significant proportion of Lasis niger/flavus diets.
The attraction to electro magnetic fields won't be a survival strategy. The didn't evolve in an environment that contained strong localised electro magnetic fields, so it is far more likely that it is an side-effect of a positive evolutionary strategy. A bit like the way moths end up spiralling into light sources because they use the moon (which is very far away) as a navigational aid to help them fly in a straight line. Because of the distance, if the moth maintains an angle steady to to the moon, it will fly in a straight line.