Close-up film shows for the first time how ants use ’combs’ and ’brushes’ to keep their antennae clean

Using unique mechanical experiments and close-up video, Cambridge researchers have shown how ants use microscopic 'combs' and 'brushes' to keep their antennae clean, which could have applications for developing cleaners for nanotechnology. Insects have developed ingenious ways of cleaning very small, sensitive structures, which could have fascinating applications for nanotechnology - where contamination of small things is a big problem - Alexander Hackmann For an insect, grooming is a serious business. If the incredibly sensitive hairs on their antennae get too dirty, they are unable to smell food, follow pheromone trails or communicate. So insects spend a significant proportion of their time just keeping themselves clean. Until now, however, no-one has really investigated the mechanics of how they actually go about this. In a study published in Open Science , Alexander Hackmann and colleagues from the Department of Zoology have undertaken the first biomechanical investigation of how ants use different types of hairs in their cleaning apparatus to clear away dirt from their antennae. "Insects have developed ingenious ways of cleaning very small, sensitive structures, so finding out exactly how they work could have fascinating applications for nanotechnology - where contamination of small things, especially electronic devices, is a big problem.