| Weirdo Ants |
Closely related to bees and wasps in the order Hymenoptera, the ants, or
Formicidae, are one of the world's most abundant and successful forms of
animal life, and their complex, diverse behaviors could potentially fill as much
documentation as the rest of the Insecta combined.
These are just a few of the strange and surprising extremes to which these
incredible insects have adapted....
Formicidae, are one of the world's most abundant and successful forms of
animal life, and their complex, diverse behaviors could potentially fill as much
documentation as the rest of the Insecta combined.
These are just a few of the strange and surprising extremes to which these
incredible insects have adapted....
| Living Larders |
In some ants of the Myrmecocystus genus, a certain portion of the workers become
what are known as "honey pot" ants, or more technically, "repletes." Sugars, fats and
other liquid food are fed to them by other workers until their abdomens swell
sometimes to the size of grapes, which their nestmates feed from in times of
emergency. Too bloated the leave the colony on their own, the repletes are kept deep
beneath the ground and heavily guarded, as many other creatures - including humans -
prize them as food and other ants may even attempt to steal them for their own use.
what are known as "honey pot" ants, or more technically, "repletes." Sugars, fats and
other liquid food are fed to them by other workers until their abdomens swell
sometimes to the size of grapes, which their nestmates feed from in times of
emergency. Too bloated the leave the colony on their own, the repletes are kept deep
beneath the ground and heavily guarded, as many other creatures - including humans -
prize them as food and other ants may even attempt to steal them for their own use.
Unable to reproduce on their own, the individual lives of most ants have no purpose
without a queen to protect, and the tiny insects will sacrifice themselves in droves to
ensure her survival; but if you're going to die fighting, why go peacefully and leave a
useless corpse lying around? Members of Camponotus saundersi have a special set
of over-sized jaw muscles that run their entire body length and connect with glands
packed full of poison. When faced with no other alternative, they violently flex these
muscles, rupturing themselves to splash this poison in the face of their enemy.
without a queen to protect, and the tiny insects will sacrifice themselves in droves to
ensure her survival; but if you're going to die fighting, why go peacefully and leave a
useless corpse lying around? Members of Camponotus saundersi have a special set
of over-sized jaw muscles that run their entire body length and connect with glands
packed full of poison. When faced with no other alternative, they violently flex these
muscles, rupturing themselves to splash this poison in the face of their enemy.
In typical ants, a colony consists primarily of sterile, female workers and soldiers
hatched from the eggs of a single queen, periodically producing winged, reproductive
males and females to leave the nest and start colonies of their own. Some species,
however, do away with this whole complicated business and let someone else do all
the hard labor. Solenopsis daguerrei is just one such species, consisting entirely of
queens and males with no worker or soldier caste. After mating, the female locates the
colony of another ant species, sniffs out their queen and hooks itself onto her body,
using pheremones to completely mask its presence while it snatches food right from
the host's mouth. The colony cannot differentiate the invader's eggs from their own, and
will carefully protect and raise a new generation of parasites while their own queen
slowly starves to death.
hatched from the eggs of a single queen, periodically producing winged, reproductive
males and females to leave the nest and start colonies of their own. Some species,
however, do away with this whole complicated business and let someone else do all
the hard labor. Solenopsis daguerrei is just one such species, consisting entirely of
queens and males with no worker or soldier caste. After mating, the female locates the
colony of another ant species, sniffs out their queen and hooks itself onto her body,
using pheremones to completely mask its presence while it snatches food right from
the host's mouth. The colony cannot differentiate the invader's eggs from their own, and
will carefully protect and raise a new generation of parasites while their own queen
slowly starves to death.
Sometimes, ants begin their lifetime of labor from the moment they hatch as helpless,
maggot-like larvae. In some species, the larvae produce silk used in construction of
the colony itself, and in others, adult workers and soldiers actually depend on the
larvae to digest and regurgitate their food. Certain members of the genus
Adetomyrma, however, take larval contribution to a more grisly level...
maggot-like larvae. In some species, the larvae produce silk used in construction of
the colony itself, and in others, adult workers and soldiers actually depend on the
larvae to digest and regurgitate their food. Certain members of the genus
Adetomyrma, however, take larval contribution to a more grisly level...
| Suicide Bombers |
| Enemies Within |
| Cannibal Vampires |
Nicknamed the "Dracula ants," mature members of the colony are armed with wicked
jaws and paralyzing stingers, but the insects and centipedes they hunt are not for their
own consumption; their diet consists exclusively of haemolymph (insect "blood") from
their younger siblings. Kept alive and healthy on a diet of paralyzed prey, the blind and
limbless larvae are scratched open by the adult's sharp mandibles and drained of
blood in periodic, non-lethal amounts. Though the behavior is routine for these
species, the larvae become visibly unsettled when a hungry worker enters their
chamber, and even make futile attempts to flee.
Of all the formica, this genus is anatomically among the closest to wasps.
jaws and paralyzing stingers, but the insects and centipedes they hunt are not for their
own consumption; their diet consists exclusively of haemolymph (insect "blood") from
their younger siblings. Kept alive and healthy on a diet of paralyzed prey, the blind and
limbless larvae are scratched open by the adult's sharp mandibles and drained of
blood in periodic, non-lethal amounts. Though the behavior is routine for these
species, the larvae become visibly unsettled when a hungry worker enters their
chamber, and even make futile attempts to flee.
Of all the formica, this genus is anatomically among the closest to wasps.
| Written by Jonathan C. Wojcik - Photo credits unknown or from public news outlets. |