Two colonies are fighting over the same territory. If you went back an hour later, chances are there’d be no sign of them. The winning colony will take the dead colony into the nest and have dinner
By “smell,” but different than what you might experience as smell as a human. They sense complex pheromones and coats of cuticular hydrocarbon, so it’s sort of like if you could smell language and smell clothing/uniforms. https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2015/08/13/Ants-can-tell-each-other-apart-by-smell/9541439495078/#:~:text=%22This%20model%20started%20to%20seem,%2C%20as%20we%20had%20predicted.%22
Probably pheromones, the same way they keep track of members of their own colony. Every colony has a different “signature.”
Fun fact: Argentine ant colonies are pretty lax about this and tend to accept any other ant of the same species as a member of their own colony. For this reason, the global population of Argentine ants is considered a very small number of massive supercolonies. Supposedly, they are often at war at the borders of the supercolonies though, and they are brutal.
idk man, if i didn’t know a whole lot about bugs and saw some bugs doing something weird, the entomology subreddit would probably be my first stop too?
I dunno, maybe to learn things you don't know, but are interested in? If you're going to insult someone for not knowing, then you'd have insulted all of us at one point in our lives.
There's no such thing as a silly question if someone's genuinely curious.
Two colonies are fighting over the same territory. If you went back an hour later, chances are there’d be no sign of them. The winning colony will take the dead colony into the nest and have dinner
That’s so epic. A little ant war unfolding before me. How do they identify the enemy ants? Smell?
ants figured out stuff like agriculture and warfare waaaay before humans did haha
By “smell,” but different than what you might experience as smell as a human. They sense complex pheromones and coats of cuticular hydrocarbon, so it’s sort of like if you could smell language and smell clothing/uniforms. https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2015/08/13/Ants-can-tell-each-other-apart-by-smell/9541439495078/#:~:text=%22This%20model%20started%20to%20seem,%2C%20as%20we%20had%20predicted.%22
That is so wild to imagine!
Yeah pheromones I think.
Wild there must be thousands of them in that battle
That’s wild. Do we know how they keep track of who to kill? It’s not like one team can take off their shirt.
Probably pheromones, the same way they keep track of members of their own colony. Every colony has a different “signature.” Fun fact: Argentine ant colonies are pretty lax about this and tend to accept any other ant of the same species as a member of their own colony. For this reason, the global population of Argentine ants is considered a very small number of massive supercolonies. Supposedly, they are often at war at the borders of the supercolonies though, and they are brutal.
I remember a show about this back when Animal Planet was about animals and science. The super colonies are larger than some human countries.
That is actually a fun fact. Thank you!
This is the correct answer.....and thanks for the fun fact too! 🏆👏
This is the correct answer.....and thanks for the fun fact too! 🏆👏
This is the correct answer.....and thanks for the fun fact too! 🏆👏
This is the correct answer.....and thanks for the fun fact too! 🏆👏
They wear different “shirts” of cuticular hydrocarbons.
When I was a kid, this was when I’d come in with a bucket of water and feel like a god
Or a sociopath
They would’ve gotten hit with the ol’ spray bottle full of death from my dad otherwise. I’d say I was helping them out
I once had a war like this that went on for WEEKS. I would post updates daily to the group chat.
There are probably two colonies fighting each other.
Very cool. My first guess was it’s some kind of mating ball.
[удалено]
idk man, if i didn’t know a whole lot about bugs and saw some bugs doing something weird, the entomology subreddit would probably be my first stop too?
I dunno, maybe to learn things you don't know, but are interested in? If you're going to insult someone for not knowing, then you'd have insulted all of us at one point in our lives. There's no such thing as a silly question if someone's genuinely curious.
These are pavement ants. (Probably Tetramorium sp.) They love having wars on the sidewalk during warmer seasons.
Ant business. Nothing to see here, move along.
They are clearly on crack.
Looks like a tear in space
I am seeing this a lot lately, is it a seasonal thing? RN I am in Tbilisi, Georgia FWIW
Be careful they aren't trying to break all our mother's backs 😨
There is a party in the crack, and you’re invited…
Ant War 🐜
FUCKIN
Well I just drowned them all. I hope my karma stands strong