The latest addition to the suicide bomber ant species has been discovered in the jungles of Borneo. This one ant wrecking crew species will attach itself to the intruder, self-detonate and cover its enemy with toxic gunk. This kamikaze tactic or self-sacrifice (trading a life for a life) is found in social insects, such as termites and honeybees, which will fight to the death to protect the nest and territory. First discovered in the early 1930s, there are over 16 individual exploding species out there and the latest addition to the exploding ants club (Camponotus saundersi) has been discovered again in Borneo. Once one of these Tokubetsu Kōgekitai (special attack unit) ants discovers a foreign ant in their territory, they will latch onto its legs with their jaws and then squeeze their abdominal muscles so hard that they blow themselves up, spewing a gummy yellow slime over the hapless trespasser. The liquid actually ruptures out of several points of the abdomen, aimed at the enemy’s faces, maximizing the power of the irritants and immobilizing the threat. The oversized bladder that contains the destructive fluid takes up half the volume of the ant’s body, stretching from the head all the way to the abdomen. The goo is made up of numerous nauseating chemicals and strong bonding agents that permanently attach the bomber to its adversary.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ants-original-tokubetsu-k%C5%8Dgekitai-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-exploding-ants-club-1.23277296