Photo shows suicide bomber ant self-detonating
Some ants are terrorists, author says, not hesitating to take out others with them.
In his new book " Adventures Among Ants" (University of California Press, 2010), Moffett describes — and shows — how some ants will commit suicide in a very dramatic way while taking others out with them. (See " Poison-Taster Ants Help Save Colonies.")
Moffett told me that in this photo, "the reddish worker cylindricus ant has detonated — rupturing her body to release a toxic yellow glue that kills her and the enemy instantly."
Just before this picture was snapped in Borneo, Moffett had set a trap at the base of a tree colonized by cylindricus ants. The trap was simply some honey that he drizzled around the tree trunk.
He describes what happened next:
"After an hour, weaver ants along with another species of carpenter ant located the bait and started arriving at the cylindricus-occupied tree. One of them started up the trunk, but then came down again. That one would live another day. Another climbed a bit higher and attempted to walk by a cylindricus minor worker. Just as I clicked the shutter there was a splash of yellow, and both ants were immobilized in a sticky, grotesque tableau." (Test your ant smarts: Take this quiz.)
In his book, Moffett describes yet another species of cylindricus ant that includes "living doors." The major worker's head flattens into a disc, he explains, "enabling her to serve as a living door to nests in hollow branches. She allows her nestmates inside only after they identify themselves by tapping the blockading disc with their antennae." (See: " Tiny Insect Brains Solve Big Problems.")
When he tried to grab a minor worker that was climbing the tree trunk, an additional protective measure took place. He said the "ant's leg fell away in my hand, in much the way that a lizard will lose its tail."
Moffett also describes a Brazilian species, Forelius pusillus, that kills entire ant nests at a time.
"Up to eight sacrificial individuals stay outside at night to seal the entrance with sand, kicking the final grains in place until no trace of the hole is visible. Walled off from their sisters, by dawn almost all are dead, for reasons unknown—perhaps the squad consists of the old or sick. The ants in the nest then clear the passage to begin the day’s foraging. That night, more victims seal the door."
To understand such behavior, Moffett suggests that we think of an ant colony like a single organism. Cutting off a "minor" part may help to save the colony as a whole. "The larger the colony, the less consequential the casualty," he said.
"Such extremism in handling risk is an example of how death without reproduction can be of service to queen and colony, and a reminder that anything humans concoct — even suicide missions and terrorism — probably has a parallel in nature."
Could it be that the ever-ballooning human population means more terrorism and warfare are in our future?
No one knows for certain, but as Moffett ominously points out, the bigger a population becomes, the more it can take large-scale risks, "given that losing 10 percent of an army will be more devastating for a society of ten than for one of a million."
This is so awesome and so scary at the same time. Where I live is home to a lot of fire ants, recently at work while leaning against a tree I learned the hard way it had become a fire ant nest!
In-spite of (or is it despite?) this I found those little ladies fascinating and I think I'll get this book.
"The real ideological schism in America is not Republican vs Democrat; it is North vs South, Urban vs Rural, and it has been since the 19th century."
-Mike Wong
Invictus ChiKen wrote:Some ants are terrorists, author says, not hesitating to take out others with them.
I'm sorry for pouncing on this little part, but why would an ant blowing itself up be terrorism?
I would have thought the "terror" part of the word should have been a hint of what terrorism is about (i.e. the strategy of spreading fear). And sure, I get that "ALLAHUAKBAR! *boom*" is as far as the deeply stupid will go when defining the term. But it's still lazy and blinkered, especially given the past historical record of biologists using convenient anthropomorphisms as their justification.
Isn't this author supposed to be a scientist?
Björn Paulsen
"Travelers with closed minds can tell us little except about themselves."
--Chinua Achebe
Yeah, it's the typical media SOP to sensationalize the article by linking it to an important real world concern, no matter how tenuous that connection is (or isn't).
Anyway, I've heard a little about these ants before, and it is pretty cool how they interact with each other and other nests / species of ants. Ants are probably one of the most interesting insects, and certainly the most interesting of the colonial insects.
Mr. Harley: Your impatience is quite understandable.
Klaatu: I'm impatient with stupidity. My people have learned to live without it.
Mr. Harley: I'm afraid my people haven't. I'm very sorry... I wish it were otherwise.
"I do know that for the sympathy of one living being, I would make peace with all. I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe.
If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other." – Frankenstein's Creature on the glacier[/size]
Temujin wrote:Yeah, it's the typical media SOP to sensationalize the article by linking it to an important real world concern, no matter how tenuous that connection is (or isn't).
Yeah, true. What got me was that the author made similar statements. Granted, we could consider them possibly out of context. But still.
Anyway, I've heard a little about these ants before, and it is pretty cool how they interact with each other and other nests / species of ants. Ants are probably one of the most interesting insects, and certainly the most interesting of the colonial insects.
Ants are fucking fascinating. We've even developed cutting-edge algorithms based on their behaviour. How cool is that?
Björn Paulsen
"Travelers with closed minds can tell us little except about themselves."
--Chinua Achebe
Eleas wrote:Ants are fucking fascinating. We've even developed cutting-edge algorithms based on their behaviour. How cool is that?
I think I saw a something about that on a NatGeo special. I believe they wanted to apply some of it to modern transportation systems, particularly in already built up and crowded areas.
Mr. Harley: Your impatience is quite understandable.
Klaatu: I'm impatient with stupidity. My people have learned to live without it.
Mr. Harley: I'm afraid my people haven't. I'm very sorry... I wish it were otherwise.
"I do know that for the sympathy of one living being, I would make peace with all. I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe.
If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other." – Frankenstein's Creature on the glacier[/size]
Eleas wrote:Ants are fucking fascinating. We've even developed cutting-edge algorithms based on their behaviour. How cool is that?
I think I saw a something about that on a NatGeo special. I believe they wanted to apply some of it to modern transportation systems, particularly in already built up and crowded areas.
Yeah, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Ant-pathing basically works wherever you need to form lines and physical connections. You could use it to make just about any system reroute past damage, and other cool shit.
Björn Paulsen
"Travelers with closed minds can tell us little except about themselves."
--Chinua Achebe
Well, it's great to have yet another reason to fear ants.
Did anyone else notice this?
...Moffett describes yet another species of cylindricus ant that includes "living doors." The major worker's head flattens into a disc, he explains, "enabling her to serve as a living door to nests in hollow branches.
Living doors. Jesus. That's some Silent Hill-grade creepy right there.
Brotherhood of the Monkey @( !.! )@ To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift. ~Steve Prefontaine Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer are in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe.
Eleas wrote:
Yeah, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Ant-pathing basically works wherever you need to form lines and physical connections. You could use it to make just about any system reroute past damage, and other cool shit.
The same algorithm applies to fungal growths and other biofilms too, since it just makes sense to grow and use the least energy and resources while spreading as far as you can without overlapping.
Ants make me wish I'd studied entomology instead of microbes sometimes. They truly are amazing creatures.
