Ants are definitely full of curiosities. Who has not observed a long line of ants transporting food? Who has not been amazed to learn of its perfect organization? However, there are more than 22,000 species of this insect and not all are the same. It descends from wasps and is related to bees and like them, its social structure is based on seeking the well-being of its queen at all costs. After an evolution of millions of years, some of its species have acquired shocking “customs.” Therefore, here at we want you to know some of the curious facts about the most surprising ants.
15 curious facts about shocking ants
1. Fire ants
The first group we want to talk to you about are fire ants, red ants or red ants. Its bite is very painfulbut on one occasion, as we told you in , the physical reaction to more than 200 bites was what saved a woman who fell from a height of 4,000 meters.
In addition to the danger posed by bites, especially to people with allergies, fire ants They are capable of unparalleled feat. They have learned to move on the water and cross from one side of a river or stream to the other, forming a type of boat with the individuals of the group. Additionally, they are able to survive underwater for a time, creating an air bubble around them using surface tension.
2. Teamwork is one of the curious facts about ants
Ants can work together very efficiently. For example, some colonies of leafcutter ants can clear and transport more than 20 kilograms of leaves a day. The worker ants in a colony have specific roles, and each one works closely with the others to accomplish the tasks necessary to maintain the colony.
3. One of the most diverse species
One of the curious facts about ants is that there are more than 12,000 species of ants worldwide. Furthermore, it is estimated that there are more than one million trillion ants on Earth at any given time. They are found almost everywhere, from forests and grasslands to cities and deserts.
4. Slave ants
Ants can be really scary and served as inspiration for films like «When the Marabunta Roars» or «Them.» However, the reality can be even more terrible. Ants form large armies and although they often seem peaceful, many species are capable of starting great wars. One of the reasons that leads them to fight is to get prisoners to enslave them.
5. One of the curiosities about ants is their strength
Many of us have wondered how much weight an ant can carry. Now, let us remember that they are famous for your strength and your ability to lift and carry objects that are more than 50 times your own body weight. This ability is due partly to their small size and partly to the relative strength of their muscles. They also have strong legs and powerful jaws that allow them to hold and carry large objects.
6. How do they breathe?
Unlike humans and many other animals, ants do not have lungs. Instead, They breathe through small holes in their exoskeleton called spiracles. As air enters and leaves the spiracles, tubes called tracheas carry oxygen directly to the body’s tissues.
7. Dracula Ants
The next of these curious ant facts concerns the species called Adetomyrna which is endemic to Madagascar. They are known as Dracula ants because of their eating habits. They hunt insects much larger than themselves, but they do not eat them. They move them to their anthills and there they serve as food for their larvae.
Once this is done, the adult ants pierce the larvae’s tegument at certain points and feed on the hemolymph, which is the equivalent of blood in insects. Summarizing, They suck the blood of their own young. In this vampire act they are not killed, but it is quite terrifying.
8. They work in a specific order
Ants are very organized. Ant colonies have a complex social structure that includes specific roles for worker ants, soldiers, queens, and males. Worker ants are responsible for most of the work in the colony, while soldier ants protect the colony from predators and queen ants are responsible for laying eggs and maintaining the colony’s population.
9. Communication is another of the curiosities about ants
Ants can communicate with each other through chemical signals called pheromones. Pheromones allow them to track their way back to the colony, find food, and recognize peers in their colony. Pheromones can also be used to alert others of danger and to attract colony members to areas where help is needed.
10. One of the curious facts about ants is their intelligence
Ants have an impressive ability to solve problems and make group decisions. For example, when an ant colony encounters an obstacle on its way to food, The ants work together to find a solution. Some ants may act as “bridges” for other ants to cross, while other members may seek an alternative route around the obstacle.
11. Your diet
Ants are omnivores and eat a wide variety of foods, including plants, other insects and, in some cases, even meat.. Some ant species also have a symbiotic relationship with plants. Indeed, they help pollinate them or protect them from herbivores.
12. They are one of the longest-lived species
One of the curiosities of ants is that they have a long evolutionary history and it is believed that have been present on Earth for more than 100 million of years. They have survived mass extinctions and drastic climate changes, and remain a successful and abundant species around the world.
13. Farmer Ants
Some species of ants are capable of growing fungi for food. Leaf-gathering ants, for example, cut off pieces of leaves and carry them to their colony, where the fungi feed on the leaf litter and grow into a mushroom-like substance. Ants can harvest and eat the mushrooms, providing them with a protein-rich food source.
14. They play an important role
Ants are also important to the overall ecosystem. They help decompose organic matter, aerate the soil and control the population of other insects. Additionally, they are a valuable source of food for many other species, including birds, reptiles and mammals.
15. They produce natural antibiotics
Ants can be used in medicine. For example, some species of ants are known to produce natural antibiotics that They can be useful in treating infections.
In short, ants are fascinating and highly evolved creatures that have a wide variety of surprising adaptations and behaviors. We hope you have enjoyed these interesting facts about ants and they have inspired you to learn more about these incredible insects. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to share! Before we leave, we leave you this article about the curiosities of cockroaches, you will surely love them.