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Swarms of flying ants
Flyings ants have been spotted in parts of southern England. The colonies come out in the summer, which is their mating season. (Videos via Storyful)
Mystery drone sightings in Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming; the invasion of murder hornets; an army of cicadas; baffling radio circles from deep space... And now swarms of flying ants? (All in the same year as a global virus pandemic, BTW.)
Yes, residents of the United Kingdom spotted clusters of flying ants week. In fact, satellite radar detected a swarm flying over southeastern England on Friday, July 17, the U.K. Met Office reported.
"During the summer ants can take to the skies in a mass emergence, usually on warm, humid, and windless days," Met Office said on Twitter.
Though trending with the hashtag #FlyingAntDay, the ant colonies typically are seen over several weeks in the summer during their annual mating season, according to reports.
One video shared on social media by @WilliamABooth shows a cluster of ants in Ipswich, England, on Friday. The cluster drew hungry seagulls, who delighted in the mass of easy treats.
Another social video, this one posted by @Econet1892, shows ants in West Sussex, on England's southern coast with the comment: "Is it flying ant day today by any chance???"