New Digital Library Offers Detailed 3D Scans of Hundreds of Ant Species

Researchers have created Antscan, a digital library featuring detailed 3D images of nearly 2,200 ant specimens representing at least 792 species. The project, described in Nature Methods on March 5, uses synchrotron micro-CT scanning technology to rapidly capture internal and external structures. Led by entomologist Evan Economo at the University of Maryland and evolutionary biologist Julian Katzke at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, the database makes ant morphology accessible without physical museum access. The library has already supported research, including a December study examining exoskeleton strength and colony size relationships. Experts note this digitization could transform scientific study and have applications beyond research.