driver ants by Eternal_Knight 2011/05/17 05:52
Driver ants are a type of ant found in Africa, similar in many ways to the army ant of the Americas. They live much of theirlives on the go, moving from oneplace to another, attacking nearly anything in their path, ripping it apart, then returning the food to the main colony. Much feared by many people, driver ants do have useful purposes, however.
Driver ants will attack people and large animals. Much of their prey comes from rodents, insects, snakes, and other creatures commonly thought of as vermin, though. To understand how this can be helpful, it is only necessary to understand the sequence they use when they are on the move.
The colony consists of a queen, the egg layer, a large number of worker ants, and a smaller number of soldier ants. The worker ants are responsible for much of the everyday life in the colony, including care of the queen, eggs, and developing larvae. They will even use their bodies to protect their charges. They also carry the queen when the group is on the move.
The soldier ants are the defenders of the ant colony, and are equipped with large powerful jaws, quite capable of chewing through flesh. Part of the driver ant's reason for success is in the sheer number ofindividuals in the colony. A goodsized colony of driver ants can have many thousands of members, so they can quickly overcome prey with sheer numbers. One ant can be wardedoff, but several thousand can overcome most prey.
Marching colonies of driver ants have been recorded that were several miles long and hundreds of feet in width.
Even venomous animals stand little chance against a full colony of driver ants. Most animals will flee a moving colony. This includes man. However, there is a specialized kind of worker thatgive forwarding of a marching colony of driver ants: The scouts.
Scout ants move ahead of the colony, leaving a scent trail for the colony to follow. Villagers seeing the scout ants will usuallyvacate the village, returning several days later. By the time they return, the huts and groundwill have been scoured free of pests; spiders, snakes, mice, rats,and pretty much all other creatures that normally plague the day to day living in the village. In this way, the driver ant functions as a giant active pest exterminator.
Driver ants will even climb trees,bushes, and huts to find prey, so there is little escape from the hungry marauders. When they travel through an area, few animals will be left behind in their wake.
These ants will even build living bridges, using their bodies, to allow the colony to continue moving over obstacles. This often means that many will die, but there are so many that this is of little concern. In fact, the queen is protected at all costs.
Periodically, the colony halts, making a temporary bivouac, during which time the queen lays a large number of eggs. The young are then cared for until they can take their places as workers, soldiers, and scouts.
Driver ants are truly industrious, but they aren't without their uses. Like nearly all animals, theydo have their worth, and it would be hard to imagine just how many pests would cover Africa without them. This is an ant worthy of further study.
Driver ants are a type of ant found in Africa, similar in many ways to the army ant of the Americas. They live much of theirlives on the go, moving from oneplace to another, attacking nearly anything in their path, ripping it apart, then returning the food to the main colony. Much feared by many people, driver ants do have useful purposes, however.
Driver ants will attack people and large animals. Much of their prey comes from rodents, insects, snakes, and other creatures commonly thought of as vermin, though. To understand how this can be helpful, it is only necessary to understand the sequence they use when they are on the move.
The colony consists of a queen, the egg layer, a large number of worker ants, and a smaller number of soldier ants. The worker ants are responsible for much of the everyday life in the colony, including care of the queen, eggs, and developing larvae. They will even use their bodies to protect their charges. They also carry the queen when the group is on the move.
The soldier ants are the defenders of the ant colony, and are equipped with large powerful jaws, quite capable of chewing through flesh. Part of the driver ant's reason for success is in the sheer number ofindividuals in the colony. A goodsized colony of driver ants can have many thousands of members, so they can quickly overcome prey with sheer numbers. One ant can be wardedoff, but several thousand can overcome most prey.
Marching colonies of driver ants have been recorded that were several miles long and hundreds of feet in width.
Even venomous animals stand little chance against a full colony of driver ants. Most animals will flee a moving colony. This includes man. However, there is a specialized kind of worker thatgive forwarding of a marching colony of driver ants: The scouts.
Scout ants move ahead of the colony, leaving a scent trail for the colony to follow. Villagers seeing the scout ants will usuallyvacate the village, returning several days later. By the time they return, the huts and groundwill have been scoured free of pests; spiders, snakes, mice, rats,and pretty much all other creatures that normally plague the day to day living in the village. In this way, the driver ant functions as a giant active pest exterminator.
Driver ants will even climb trees,bushes, and huts to find prey, so there is little escape from the hungry marauders. When they travel through an area, few animals will be left behind in their wake.
These ants will even build living bridges, using their bodies, to allow the colony to continue moving over obstacles. This often means that many will die, but there are so many that this is of little concern. In fact, the queen is protected at all costs.
Periodically, the colony halts, making a temporary bivouac, during which time the queen lays a large number of eggs. The young are then cared for until they can take their places as workers, soldiers, and scouts.
Driver ants are truly industrious, but they aren't without their uses. Like nearly all animals, theydo have their worth, and it would be hard to imagine just how many pests would cover Africa without them. This is an ant worthy of further study.
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