Buzz
Ants often go unnoticed by many of us, but when they do catch our attention, it’s usually because they’re either raiding our food or invading our warm, dry homes. Yet, these tiny creatures engage in actions that are surprisingly human-like, a bit unsettling, and downright bizarre. Keep reading to discover a side of ants you’ve never encountered before.
10. Nest Building
Weaver ants are a widespread species found in Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia. They build their nests high up in the rainforests' canopies by folding leaves together and stitching them with silk produced by their larvae. The workers hold the larvae in their jaws, gently squeezing them as if they were glue bottles. Some of these nests can reach impressive sizes—up to half a meter (1.5 ft) wide—made solely from leaves sewn together. These nests can be constructed in under 24 hours, and new ones are built regularly to replace those damaged by storms or predators.
9. Living Honey Pots
For ants, honeypot ants live a pretty luxurious life. These ants don’t have to contribute to the colony’s work; instead, they spend their time underground, feasting on the sweetest treats brought back by the foragers. This indulgence causes their abdomens to expand to the size of grapes, filled with a sweet liquid. The catch? When hard times come around (which isn’t unusual in the harsh deserts they inhabit), starving workers must feed on the regurgitated sugary liquid from these honey-filled ants. Additionally, raiding colonies and predators—including desert-dwelling humans—are drawn to these bloated, immobile sugar reserves.
8. Herding
Ants are well-known for their herding behavior, with their mutualistic relationship with aphids often featured in biology lessons. In essence, ants search for aphids and feed on the honeydew the aphids release, providing the ants with a quick and nutritious snack. In return, ants protect the aphids from predators, even going so far as to risk their lives for their safety.
Recent studies, however, suggest that this partnership might not be entirely reciprocal; ants frequently bite off the aphids' wings to prevent them from escaping, and they can secrete chemicals from their feet that impede the regrowth of the aphids’ wings while making them more docile. This allows ants to herd them easily to specific areas, including shelters created by the ants for their “livestock.” This behavior is not limited to aphids—ants display similar actions with certain caterpillars as well.
7. Group Sacrifice
Many species of ants are willing to sacrifice their own soldiers for the benefit of the colony. Since the entire colony functions as one organism, the loss of a few ants is no more significant than, say, losing a hair. However, a particular ant species found in Brazil takes this to the extreme—every night, these ants block the entrances to their nests by pushing sand into the openings. As the hole nears completion, a group of about eight ants stays outside and works to seal it up completely, spending an hour filling the hole with sand. It’s a deadly sacrifice—most of the ants outside do not survive until morning. But in return, their actions ensure the safety of the entire colony.
6. Raft Building
Fire ants, living in the South American jungle, build their nests underground, a common and effective method for securing a safe home. However, their colonies are frequently at risk of being flooded when heavy rains cause nearby rivers to overflow. To protect themselves, fire ants create life rafts. These ants have hydrophobic exteriors, meaning they repel water, and when they connect to one another, they form a waterproof raft that allows the colony to float through the flooded jungle. These ants can maintain the raft for weeks and carry hundreds of thousands of ants on it. In lab experiments, these rafts have been formed in as little as 100 seconds.
5. Living Doors
There are few fates more unfortunate than being born solely to serve as a living door. Yet, that is the life of some turtle ants, also known (somewhat unflatteringly) as door-head ants. These ants reside in the rainforests of the Americas and belong to polymorphic species, where certain castes are designed for specific tasks, with unique body structures to fulfill those roles. These ants often make their homes in beetle-dug tunnels in trees, where multiple entrances already exist. To prevent intruders, door-head ants position themselves at the tunnel entrances with their flat heads facing outward, effectively blocking predators from entering the colony.
4. Suicide Bombing
Kamikaze tactics are not exclusive to humans. Several species of carpenter ants have evolved a method of self-destruction, turning themselves into living chemical weapons capable of instantly killing their enemies. These ants possess two glands that run the length of their bodies. When faced with danger, they can contract their bodies, rupturing these glands and spraying toxic chemicals onto their foes. A worker ant will grab an enemy in its jaws before intentionally rupturing its body. The result is a burst of yellow goo that kills the enemy. This sacrificial act is also used in hunting; one ant will self-destruct on the prey, allowing the rest of the workers to safely dismember the now-dead prey without putting themselves at risk.
3. Owning Slaves
Many people may be shocked to learn that slavery isn’t a phenomenon exclusive to humans. In fact, several species of ants practice slavery, with some even breeding workers whose sole purpose is to go out and capture slaves from rival colonies. The typical behavior of slave-making ants involves raiding a nearby enemy colony, stealing eggs and larvae, and raising them as their own slaves. These enslaved ants are tasked with all kinds of duties, from foraging for food to grooming the queen to defending the colony. They even help carry their masters to new nest sites when the colony relocates. Interestingly, slave-maker ants tend to target the strongest colonies, probably associating their robust defenses with a supply of healthy, strong slaves.
2. Vampirism
Vampire ants, also known as Dracula ants, were only recently discovered in Madagascar, and they are some of the most terrifying creatures nature has ever produced. These ants live in small colonies (about 10,000 individuals), often tucked away in decaying wood. Their name comes from their horrific feeding habits—both workers and queens bite holes into the larvae of their own colony to drink their hemolymph, which is the insect equivalent of blood. This extraction is done carefully to ensure the larvae aren't killed. Entomologist Brian Fischer, who discovered these ants, described seeing larvae with visible scars where they had been punctured and drained of their vital fluids.
1. Agriculture
In addition to being expert herders, some species of ants are also accomplished farmers. Various species cultivate fungi to nourish their colonies. One particularly fascinating example is the Cyphomyrmex genus. Instead of growing traditional “mushroom” fungi, these ants cultivate yeast—the same kind used in bread-making. However, Cyphomyrmex ants don't bake it into bread; they consume it raw and alive. To grow the yeast, they create a burial ground of chopped-up insect parts and sprinkle the spores over it. The yeast grows in thin, patchy layers, which the ants then harvest bit by bit to feed their larvae.
The graveyards the ants create are surprisingly vibrant. For some unknown reason, they prefer to use brightly colored beetle carcasses, which results in a colorful mosaic of reds, blues, and greens, all meticulously tended by a dedicated army of ant farmers.
