Scary with a medieval trap of small ants, it cuts 50 times more prey

There are seemingly harmless branches, but once the bees and grasshoppers . have entered, there is no way back. Because that's right there is the death trap of the ant colonies.

In the wild, the baby who swallowed the baby seemed to be an indispensable rule. But that is not true for the ants Azteca brevis (abbreviated: A.brevis) residing in Costa Rica - a country of Central America.

This species can eat prey up to 50 times its body like grasshoppers, wasps . And all that is needed is a sophisticated trap with the ingenious coordination of the herd.

Enlarge photo of an A.brevis ant.

The trap was created as follows. First, ants select branches that have been eaten by fungi, making the bark more fragile.

Next, ants dig small holes close together, just enough for it to stick its head out. The ambush in the hole, the lower jaw stretched to wait for the prey.

If an unfortunate animal like grasshopper passes through its branches, its legs and antennae will touch one of the death holes. The ant in the hole immediately bit into the foot of the grasshopper, resolutely not releasing it.

Painfully, the grasshopper reflexively tried to escape. But then, his slender beard and legs touched other holes.

Both ant colonies from all the holes will use the bite function and stretch the prey's body into different directions.

Look closely at these holes: ants are waiting for bait!

Unfortunate prey has been trapped.

If the bait is large, the ants persist in the animal for hours, causing it to die from pain and exhaustion. If the prey is smaller, some of the ants in the hole will crawl out "neatly".

Depending on the situation, the hunt can last from 20 minutes to many hours. The more time you spend, the more profitable the spoils are.

The combination method has both "brake" and "spare" in common with forms of inhuman torture in the Middle Ages. However, scientists see this as a "extended phenotype" of ants.

Traps of A.brevis ants are simple but effective.

Accordingly, the intrinsic disadvantages (too small size, weak legs, mouth, and jaws) but have the advantage of externalities (living on the trunk, forming the herd .) has led to progress. chemistry of ant. In the end, they can "devise" a sophisticated trap to fill their hungry stomach.

A.brevis ants have given us an example of how a very effective social organization of this small animal is in the fight for survival.

The study was published in the journal Biological Journal of the Linnean Society.