I am fucking fascinated with ants and their ways

[~~whimsy~~]

No wounded left behind — not quite. Ants that have evolved battlefield medevac carry only the moderately wounded home to the nest. There, those lucky injured fighters get fast and effective wound care.

Insect colonies seething with workers may seem unlikely to stage elaborate rescues of individual fighters. Yet for Matabele ants (Megaponera analis) in sub-Saharan Africa — with a mere 1,000 to 2,000 nest mates — treating the wounded can be worth it, says behavioral ecologist Erik Frank at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.

Tales of self-medication pop up across the animal kingdom. For Matabele ants, however, nest cameras plus survival tests show insects treating other adults and improving their chances of survival, he and colleagues report February 14 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. For treatment boosting others’ survival, Frank says, the closest documented example is humans.

In Ivory Coast, Frank studied Matabele ant colonies that staged three to five termite hunts a day. He and colleagues at the University of Würzburg in Germany published research last year showing that members of a hunting party carry injured comrades home.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/ants-practice-combat-triage-and-nurse-their-injured

Such a great read and look into this kind of ant.

 

[sean miguel]

what is this, a thread for ants?

 

[~~whimsy~~]

what is this, a thread for ants?

Booooooooooooooooo!!!!

:dropdead::ignore::hammer::hang::zipped::ban2:

 

[zipper_666]

:dunno:

 

[Rane1071]

Yeah I wouldn't say I love 'em, but they are fascinating little fuckers.

This is where you usually insert "Damn Nature! You scary." meme.

what is this, a thread for ants?

:tongue:

 

[~~whimsy~~]

Wonderful additions, Rane! As always. :hatsoff:

 

[Rane1071]

Okay they're not ants, but ... "it's a bug hunt!"

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/02/watch-caterpillar-fling-its-beetle-attacker-through-air?

 

[~~whimsy~~]

Ant battle!!!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X5YaihAtnC4

 

[Prod3]

Ant genocide!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tructed-chewed-electric-power-cable-tank.html

 

[Rane1071]

 

[sean miguel]

it's almost as if there's some synergy at work here:

 

[Mr. Daystar]

Insects and arachnids in general are interesting. Any Nat Geo special, or other educational channel special on the little critters is a great show. I loved watching the special on the giant Japanese hornet. 30 will decimate a honey bee hive of 30.000 bee's, in less then an hour. You just gotta wonder if the atomic bombs had something to do with their existence....I mean, look at Godzilla, right?

 

[FreeOnes_Adam]

You just gotta wonder if the atomic bombs had something to do with their existence....I mean, look at Godzilla, right?

Yes, and he's obviously super real.

 

[~~whimsy~~]

Yes, and he's obviously super real.

:rofl2:

That must have been one hell of a science class.

The Giant Japanese Hornet been around before WW2, and Godzilla.

 

[L3ggy]

Even the Bullet Ants?

 

[~~whimsy~~]

Even the Bullet Ants?

I will train them to carry out my deeds.

 

[L3ggy]

All dog people beware.

 

[Rane1071]

An ant trying to take down a flying wasp.

All dog people beware.

 

[RJS13]

Those fucking things are smarter than 97% of most humans.

 

[greatcomunicator]

I once had a spill on a shelf up high and noticed ants after a few months. Over a 6 month period they cleaned it all up. The spill acted as interference so they left other areas of my kitchen alone.