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Survival Instincts: Florida Carpenter Ants Perform Life-Saving Amputations
Context: The study led by an entomologist from the University of Würzburg reveals the sophisticated medical behaviour of carpenter ants, specifically their ability to perform limb amputations to enhance survival rates among injured nestmates.
Research Findings:
- Species Observed: The behaviour was documented in Florida carpenter ants, Camponotus floridanus, a reddish-brown species found in parts of the southeastern United States.
- Amputation and Wound Care: Injured ants receive treatment either through cleaning wounds with their mouthparts or by amputating the damaged limb.
- The treatment choice depends on the injury’s location: amputations are performed for injuries higher up the leg (femur), while wounds lower down the leg (tibia) are cleaned but not amputated.
- Ants have a sophisticated medical care system that includes decisions based on the injury’s severity and location.
- Hemolymph flow, their equivalent of blood, influences treatment: slower flow in upper leg injuries allows for effective amputations, while faster flow in lower leg injuries makes amputations less effective.
- Additional Observations:Other ant species also exhibit wound care, some using glandular secretions with antibiotic properties.
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- Female worker ants perform these behaviours, while males only mate once and die.
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Behavior and Evolutionary Significance:
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Ants: An Overview
- Taxonomy:
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- Kingdom: Animalia
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- Phylum: Arthropoda
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- Class: Insecta
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- Order: Hymenoptera
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- Family: Formicidaex
- Distribution: Found worldwide except Antarctica, Iceland, Greenland, and some islands.
- Physical Description:
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- Size: 2 to 25 mm, colour varies from Yellow, brown, red, or black.
- Identification: Elbowed antennae, narrow waist between abdomen and thorax, some have wings
- Formic acid is present in ant sting.
- Natural History:
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- Social Structure: Colonies with queens, males, and workers.
- Reproduction: Queens lay eggs; males mate once and die.
- Life Cycle: Egg, larva, pupa, adult (8-10 weeks for workers)
- Nest Building: Done by workers (all female), various nest types (underground, in wood, in trees).
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- Diet: Plant and animal substances, nectar, honeydew.
- Notable Behaviours:
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- Mutualism: Acacia ants protect acacia plants in exchange for food and shelter
- Slave-Making Ants: Enslave other ant species for labour
- Parasitic Ants: Live in nests of other species and rely on them for nourishment
- Army Ants: Nomadic, destructive to plant and animal life, travel in columns
- Communication: Use pheromones for alerting danger and finding food
- Superorganisms: Colonies function with coordinated roles and responsibilities.