The Collective Mind of African Giant Ants

[labelwench]

On the subject of social insects, the Yukon was awash in Paper Wasps this year, so called because of the papery textured nests that they build. For over a month, the air literally droned from dawn until dark and they were particularly fond of the flowers on my deck, as they are also a pollinating insect that feeds on nectar as well as eating insects during certain stages of their life.

Two things I observed before I finally found time to research wasps.

a) The trees in our area were not as troubled by leaf miners, as were other areas around Whitehorse.

b) The dry, hot weather was also bringing out a lot of ants, which were scoping out my garden and log house, sending a few scouts indoors. I was just about to resort to chemical warfare (my last choice) when the ants suddenly disappeared, relieving me of the need to go on the offensive.

In retrospect, the ants went missing about the time I was besieged by wasps. Apparently they exude a chemical which repels ants as per this link from Wiki.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_wasp

Could be another research benefit from the study of what the chemical is and how the wasps produce it.

Usually one finds a number of small nests around, about the size of a pear, under eaves, on branches etc. I was puzzled that there were so many wasps and no nests visible. The other day, 300 ft from the house, I found the largest wasp nest I have seen in the Yukon, hanging on a branch of a balsam poplar at the end of our driveway. I'd estimate it to have an interior volume of about 2 liters.

[labelwench]

Bummer .... I really don't know why .....

Thanks for trying. I was having difficulty finding anything on-line after I saw a short article in the local newspaper in the lunchroom at work. I don't recall there being a photo with the article either.

[labelwench]

I couldn't find a picture of it ....

Its possible it is also a descendant of the original ...... The woolemi is one of 19 descendants of the original Jurassic tree. Each one of the 19 having found stable pocket environment.

This pic is of the 'bunya' variety .... but really all 19 are just variations of the original, thru isolation



can you see the pic ..... Robert has having problems with pics lately ?

greg

Actually, Greg, are we not all variations of the original, with the only difference being isolation, both physical and psychological?

All biology shares more similarities than differences when examined closely.

It was yourself that pointed out the similarity between chlorophyll and human blood, as I recall.

[Graybeard]

FYI

CLICK

cool bananas ... greg

[labelwench]

Thank you for the fascinating links, Greg.

While we cast our eyes to the heavens, it never ceases to amaze me how much is going on at our feet. Sometimes I ponder that we are seeking the answers by looking in the wrong locations.

Regards,

Labelwench

[Graybeard]

FYI

CLICK

cool bananas ... greg

[labelwench]

"Cutting leaves is hard work. Much of the cutting is done with a V-shaped blade between teeth on their mandibles that they use like a tailor who holds a pair of scissors in a fixed V shape to slice through cloth," Schofield said. "This blade starts out as sharp as the sharpest razor blade that humans have developed."

Over time, though, their mandibles slowly dull. It takes longer and requires more energy to get the job done. When it takes an ant about three times as much time and energy to cut out a leaf disc than it would have taken when her blades were sharp, behavior changes, the researchers reported. The cutting ants rest their blades and join the delivery staff, carrying the discs cut from the leaves into their nest.

From the link originally posted by Graybeard

An interesting observation, that nature has seemingly calculated the ratio of energy expended in determining when the loss of efficiency should dictate a change of activity.

The videos were quite amazing to watch and it is interesting that one side of the mandible is anchored, while the other side cuts back toward it, and the antennae seem to be much in motion, perhaps acting as probes or sensors for natural cutting points?

Is there any research that answers how long these ants continue in their lighter duties, as in what percentage of their lifespan? Are there any observable further regressions in activity as these ants continue to age?

Where do ants go when they die? Do the others eat them or dispose of the bodies?

As our resident 'ant specialist' perhaps you may know of these things.

[Graybeard]

Is there any research that answers how long these ants continue in their lighter duties, as in what percentage of their lifespan? Are there any observable further regressions in activity as these ants continue to age?

Where do ants go when they die? Do the others eat them or dispose of the bodies?

As our resident 'ant specialist' perhaps you may know of these things.

When Ants die I think they are eaten. I don't know how the 'ant duties' are regulated but I suspect that the higher 'castes' within the colony release chemicals that control the distribution of labour.

This behaviour is how termites regulate they're labour.

At a certain time, judged by the termites, and after rain, the termites fly off to new pastures. After landing the male quickly disposes of his wings and searches for a female. Once found the both of them search for a suitable site. They dig in and down. Then they seal the entrance. The female lays eggs and both of them prepare they're new home and raise they're babies. The babies are all the same at this point (and very cute)

The labour is taken over by the growing youngsters and the King and the Queen, never separated by more than a few centimetres settle down to produce millions of eggs.

Mostly these eggs hatch to sterile workers. But some become Soldiers and develop huge jaws. These are the two most common castes.

After about 25 years a mound appears on the ground, because as the colony grows it becomes necessary to build up rather than any further down. The reasons are many but Air Conditioning is one. As the mound grows higher and higher, wind and rain and sun erode it into the sculptures you see every where out west in Australia. At the top of the mound hundreds of 'tunnels' or pipes rise and run beside others that are open to the air. The walls between the 'pipes' are so thin that oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged as well as other elements. The exchange is driven by thermal currents between the inner chimneys and the outer chimneys.

Right at the very top of the mound a 'helipad' is constructed. By this time the colony is about 2-3 metres high (6 - 9 feet).



Now, if the time is right the whole 'purpose' of the colony becomes apparent. Some of the 'neutral' young are neither soldier or worker ... but a third caste. They have been living in special quarters, the palaces. These are the 'princes' and 'princesses' ... they grow large wings and are gently transported up thru the 'mound' which now resembles a city in all major points. These are the third caste, and the only caste that can reproduce, as well as the only caste that can grow wings.

On the top of the helipad there is great activity .... just like on the top deck of an aircraft carrier. The worker ants launch the princes and princesses of the top of the mound and away they go .... once again to start thousands of new colonies.

It is thought that all this different activity and the numbers that make up the castes are controlled by the the 'princes' and 'princesses' who release special chemicals that drive the whole incredible system.

This is only a description of a small part of the colony's activities. It is a highly social system. Workers groom, but Soldiers do not. If you brush a worker with poison soon hundreds of workers are dead because they communicate by grooming. But the poison does not affect the soldiers because they don't groom. This is an amazing adaptation that prevents the colony from becoming defenceless while it rebuilds its numbers.

When a hole is pushed thru the wall of the mound and ants introduced ... they attack the colony ... but the soldiers are magnificent in defence and fight to the death .... further ... behind them the workers are repairing the breach ... but the soldiers don't always return thru the final gap, but sacrifice themselves out on the battle field until the breach is closed. These are true 'Horatios' defending the bridge head and they die unwept, unhonoured, and unsung ... lol

In effect, the colony behaves, and consumes, just as tho it was a living single individual .... It is a multi celled system operating as one ... just like us.

The secret is in the communication. I have now found how this communication works physically, and it appears to be the same for all 'systems' ... even those we would not normally consider alive ... such as proteins and amino acids, right up to us. Perhaps 'found' is not the right word ... many have found it before me because I am a slow learner.

Termites are blind mostly, soft bodied, defenceless, cannot live exposed to the sun, require a damp habitat .... They're requirements are so specialised and yet they have survived for millions and millions of years .... in vastly different climates and environments .... They can adapt they're environment to suit themselves ... which shows that we can too.

cool bananas ... greg

[labelwench]

Thank you for an interesting and informative response. Ants are very resourceful insects, yet according to this video, the ant can be exploited by another to it's own purposes also.

[labelwench]

The following short video is some excellent close photography of the fearsome South American Trap-Jaw ant, Odontomachus chelifer.

According to some of the reading I have done recently, the bio-mass of the total ant population is estimated to be on a similar order to that of the human population.