These Ants Use Their Babies As Glue Guns
Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell・6 minutes read
Weaver ants are skilled architects and warriors that build nests in trees, with colonies comprising majors, minors, and minim workers, expanding their kingdoms to 1,600 square meters by sewing leaves together with ant larvae's silk and maintaining beneficial relationships with trees by defending their territory through battles involving formic acid attacks and strategic retreats.
Insights
- Weaver ants, such as those in the Oecophylla species, exhibit complex social structures with distinct roles for majors, minors, and minim workers, showcasing a sophisticated division of labor within the colony.
- Through intricate nest-building techniques and strategic defense mechanisms, weaver ants establish expansive kingdoms that not only serve as living quarters but also function as interconnected hubs for various activities, highlighting their prowess as both architects and warriors in the ant world.
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Recent questions
How do weaver ants build nests?
Weaver ants build nests by using ant larvae's silk to sew leaves together, creating central chambers and additional rooms for outposts. They expand their colonies upwards and sideways through the treetops, with the largest known kingdoms occupying up to 1,600 square meters.
What are the roles of weaver ant majors?
Weaver ant majors are responsible for dangerous tasks like fighting and nest construction. They use ant larvae's silk to sew leaves together, creating central chambers and additional rooms for outposts.
What do weaver ant nests serve as?
Weaver ant nests serve as barracks, storage, and the queen's residence. The colony is interconnected by suspension bridges made from leaves, lianas, and twigs.
How do weaver ants defend their territory?
Weaver ants defend their territory from competition through battles that involve thousands of ants, formic acid attacks, and strategic retreats. They maintain beneficial relationships with trees, cultivating cattle like aphids and caterpillars for honeydew.
What is the size of the largest weaver ant colonies?
The largest known weaver ant colonies occupy up to 1,600 square meters. They build elaborate nests in shrubs and trees, expanding their colonies upwards and sideways through the treetops.
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Summary
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Weaver Ants: Skilled Architects and Warriors
- Oecophylla weaver ants are skilled architects and warriors, with colonies consisting of majors, minors, and minim workers of varying sizes and colors.
- Weaver ants build elaborate nests in shrubs and trees, expanding their colonies upwards and sideways through the treetops, with the largest known kingdoms occupying up to 1,600 square meters.
- Weaver majors, responsible for dangerous tasks like fighting and nest construction, use ant larvae's silk to sew leaves together, creating central chambers and additional rooms for outposts.
- Nests serve as barracks, storage, and the queen's residence, with the colony interconnected by suspension bridges made from leaves, lianas, and twigs.
- Weaver ants maintain beneficial relationships with trees, cultivating cattle like aphids and caterpillars for honeydew, while defending their territory from competition through battles that involve thousands of ants, formic acid attacks, and strategic retreats.
