REASONS THAT ANTS ARE AWESOME

A RECENT STUDY FOUND THAT ABOUT 20% OF

ANTS ARE USELESS. THEY ARE CALLED "LAZY ANTS"

BECAUSE OF HIS WORK AS A CONSERVATIONIST,

THERE IS AN ANT SPECIES NAMED AFTER

HARRISON FORD. IT IS CALLED

PHEIDOLE HARRISONFORDI

WITH AN AVERAGE LIFESPAN OF 28 YEARS,

QUEEN ANTS LIVE LONGER THAN ALMOST

ANY OTHER INSECT

WHEN ANTS DIE, THEY GIVE OFF A CHEMICAL THAT

TELLS OTHER ANTS THEY ARE DEAD AND NEED TO

BE MOVED AWAY TO A BURIAL GROUND

IF YOU SPRAY A LIVING ANT WITH THIS SAME CHEMICAL,

THE OTHER ANTS WILL TREAT THE SPRAYED ANT

AS IF IT IS DEAD NO MATTER WHAT IT DOES

RESEARCHERS AT STANFORD FOUND THAT THE

PROTOCOLS HARVESTER ANTS USE WHILE FORAGING

FOR FOOD ARE VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL TO THE

PROTOCOLS THAT CONTROL TRAFFIC ON THE INTERNET.

IT HAS BEEN CALLED THE "ANTERNET"

OPHIOCORDYCEPS UNILATERALIS IS A FUNGUS THAT

GROWS INSIDE SOME SPECIES OF ANT. AFTER 10

DAYS IT KILLS THE ANT AND SPORES EXPLODE OUT

OF THE ANT'S HEAD ON A LONG STALK

SOME SPECIES OF CARPENTER ANTS CAN EXPLODE

AS A LAST LINE OF DEFENCE. THEY CONTRACT

THEIR ABS WHICH RUPTURES THEIR INTERNAL

ORGANS AND LETS LOOSE AN EXPLOSION OF

IMMOBILIZING AND GOOEY GUTS

ANT JAWS CAN BE SO STRONG THAT SOME

INDIGENOUS TRIBES USE THEM AS SUTURES.

THEY GET THE ANT TO BITE DOWN AROUND

THE WOUND AND THEN BREAK OFF THE ANT'S BODY