DISCOVERIES
WORMS CAUGHT HITCHING RIDES ON BEES BY USING ELECTRIC FIELDS
BIOLOGY
As well as hitchhiking, the nematode worms also form conga lines
Caenorhabditis elegans (seen here under a coloured scanning electron microscope) live in soil and can reproduce by self-fertilisation to produce identical offspring
Ever wished you could just leap onto the nearest travelling object to cut down your journey time? Well, scientists have just discovered that a microscopic worm can use electric fields to leap onto moving creatures. Much like hitchhiking for humans, this ability allows the worms to save energy and travel further.