Top 5 Dangerous Ant Species In The World

1. Paraponera

Paraponera is a genus of ant consisting of a single species, the so-called bullet ant (P. clavata), named on account of its powerful and potent sting, which is said to be as painful as being shot with a bullet. It inhabits humid lowland rainforests from Nicaragua south to Paraguay. The bullet ant is called by the locals “Hormiga Veinticuatro” or “24 (hour) ant”, from the 24 hours of pain that follow a stinging. Workers are 18–25 mm long and resemble stout, reddish-black, wingless wasps

2. Jack jumper ant

The jack jumper ant, hopper ant, jumper ant or jumping jack, Myrmecia pilosula, is a species of bull ant that is native to Australia. The ants are recorded throughout the country, but are most often found in Tasmania, rural Victoria, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and the southeast area of South Australia. Jack jumper ants are carnivores and scavengers. They sting their victims with venom that is similar to stings of wasps, bees, and fire ants. Their venom is one of the most powerful in the insect world. Jack jumper ants are proven hunters; even wasps are hunted and devoured. These ants have excellent vision, which aids them in hunting.

3. Fire ant

Fire ants are a variety of stinging ants with over 280 species worldwide. They have several common names including ginger ants and tropical fire ants The venom of the fire ants is composed of alkaloids such as piperidine (see Solenopsis saevissima), and the sting swells into a bump. This can cause much pain and irritation at times, especially when stung repeatedly by several at once. The bump often forms into a white pustule, which is at risk of becoming infected if scratched; however, if left alone, it will usually go down within a few days. The pustules are obtrusive and uncomfortable while active and, if the sting sites become infected, can turn into scars. Additionally, some people are allergic to the venom and, as with many allergies, may experience anaphylaxis, which requires emergency treatment.

4. Trap-jaw ants

Commonly known as trap-jaw ants, species in Odontomachus have a pair of large, straight mandibles capable of opening 180 degrees. These jaws are locked in place by an internal mechanism, and can snap shut on prey or objects when sensory hairs on the inside of the mandibles are touched. The mandibles are powerful and fast, giving the ant its common name. The mandibles either kill or maim the prey, allowing the ant to bring it back to the nest. Odontomachus can simply lock and snap its jaws again if one bite is not enough, or to cut off bits of larger food. The mandibles also permit slow and fine movements for other tasks such as nest building and care of larvae.

5. Red Weaver ant

Weaver ants or Green ants (genus Oecophylla) are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae (order Hymenoptera). Weaver ants are obligately arboreal and are known for their unique nest building behaviour where workers construct nests by weaving together leaves using larval silk These ants are highly territorial and workers aggressively defend their territories against intruders. Because of their aggressive behaviour, weaver ants are sometime used by indigenous farmers, particularly in southeast Asia, as natural biocontrol agents against agricultural pests. Although Oecophylla weaver ants lack a functional sting they can inflict painful bites and often spray formic acid directly at the bite wound resulting in intense discomfort.

read more "Top 5 Dangerous Ant Species In The World "

7 of the Smarts Animals On Earth

Humans may have the power of consciousness, but we are not the lonely smart beings on the planet. Some animals are actually quite smart, even when you least expect them to be. Scientist noticed that animals are also capable of solving problems, giving them a lot of edge in the wild.

Here are some of the smartest animals.

Bees

According to researchers, bees have a sort of kaleidoscopic memory d the flowers they see in the environment, which helps them figure out which flowers are the best to feed on. They also self-medicate inside their hives. They’re also great engineers, creating complex hives with honeycomb structures that we even use as an inspiration for a number of buildings.

Octopus

They might have squishy tentacles, but don’t let these fool you. Octopuses are very intelligent animals. They spread cultural information, communicate through colors, flashing, and patters, and even mimic others. Octopuses also have an advanced navigational abilities and spatial learning capacity. Their tentacles act like fingers that can manipulate objects.

Elephants

The largest mammal on land also has highly evolved social skills, much like us humans. Elephants are able to shoe loving and compassionate behavior to their family members. They also have amazing memory skills and can remember enemies and friends for 50 years or more. They even have their own form of communication.

Ants

These tiny creatures are absolutely amazing team players. Along with their social skills, the also show a great amount of individual intelligence. They’re great navigators and can remember lengthy routes. Studies on ants show that they know how to care and become altruistic amongst members of their colony.

Dolphins

Dolphins have long interest researchers.  They have a certain communication system, identify themselves in the mirror, and are creative in finding new ways to capture fish. Like humans, they are also very social and work together as a team. Wild dolphins are also known to help herd fish into fishermen nets, expecting their share afterwards.

Crows

Crows are one of the smartest birds on the planet. They are able to use analogies and counting to solve problems. They can take on higher-order, relational-matching task spontaneously. Crows also use tools to finish tasks. Studies have also shown that crows are able to comprehend the Archimedes principle, which successfully abled them to access food by manipulating water levels.

Anole

Lizards don’t really get a lot of recognition for cognitive abilities, but the Anole has impressed researchers with their intelligence.  They demonstrate that they know how to count, and they have advance problem solving and learning skills. They also have extraordinary memories.

read more "7 of the Smarts Animals On Earth "

Honeypot Ants

Honeypot Ants are primarily found in hot and dry areas throughout the world, where food and water becomes scarce for long periods of time. Many of them occur in extremely hot deserts whereas some reside in transitional habitats. Some of them can also be found in woodlands with cool but very dry climates. The role of honey ants is quite simple. To get big, fat and juicy! They are the "storage units" of the colony, full of nutritional ingredients in liquid form. Workers bring the food and they gorge themselves with it. Overtime, their abdomens become inflated with the liquid substance and they look like small pots of honey, thus their common name. Their inflated abdomens commonly reach the size of a grape. This condition is called plerergate:

read more "Honeypot Ants"

Top 5 Most Dangerous Ants in the World

It’s easy to underestimate them especially that any man can easily step on one and kill it – no sweat. But their strength lies not in their individual prowess. Taken together – in millions – they are a force to reckon with and death at their claws would be most horrifying for any man to imagine.

Below are 5 of the most dangerous ant species said to be walking the Earth today:

#5: Paraponera

Much has been written about the Paraponera, also dubbed as Lesser Giant Hunting Ants. For sure, you won’t forget being bitten by this ant as the pain seem unbearable and lasts for a day.

Many who have survived to tell the tale says that the sting is equal to getting shot with a burning sensation like no other. Lucky for humans, only small insects get paralyzed. Fact is, a tribe in Brazil uses these ants as a passage rite to becoming a warrior putting the ant’s venom in gloves which are then bitten by those who seek the exalted status. Only the best of men survive the harrowing experience.

#4: Red Harvester Ant

Don’t be fooled by the name. Though it sounds like it’s such an industrious ant, this one is fraught with danger.

Considered one of the most venomous ants in the world, its sting will induce lymph nodes all over. A big rat – one 100 times bigger than this ant specie - stung 13 times would succumb and die thereafter.It is therefore wise to not be so dumb enough as to step on them.

#3: Ravoux’s Slave Maker

It seems these ants endemic to Europe have found the secrets of a true feudal systemakin to their human counterparts. And they’ve wield it to their advantage like a master carpenter with his tools. Noted for their skill at employing other ants to do their bidding, the Slave Maker are considered masters of the ant world.

The Slave Maker’s clever behavior is one perfected by the queen which fakes even her own death when other ant colonies intrude. No sooner is she in the enemy’s nest that her true nature is unraveled. She quickly kills the queen and proceed to produce her own set of eggs which pretty soon would overpower the whole colony. Once a territory is conquered, she will move on to find another to target.

#2: Army Ants

Endemic to Western Africa, land now-known for the thousands of Ebola patients who have died, the Army Ants are preceded by such a nasty reputation. And many think of these mighty race of ant with a certain dread. Thanks to National Geographic and Discovery Channels.

For starters, an Army Ants is like a Swiss knife-wielding ant as its mandibles are extremely sharp akin to a razor. And as it that were not enough, this ant specie has a temper to match. YouTube videos and other media outlets show how easily these ants overpower almost any living creature that crosses its path – huge insects and spiders including. And make short work of them. Its tenacity is the stuff of legends as Army Ants are known to cross pools of water by sacrificing bodies of warriors linking them to form a bridge chain. A million of these soldiers marching in the underground bushes of a forest is a sight to behold. But should never be disturbed or risk becoming dinner.

#1: Bulldog Ants

Found endemic to Australia, the Land Down Under, these ants are also called Mermacia or Bull Ants for some. Commonly, they are called inch ants for their 40mm length. What makes them terrifying is their deadly sting matched only by their overly-aggressive behavior.

Looking at them, you’ll notice their unusually-large eyes which give them a powerful 1-meter vision. What makes them op of the list is their venom which can send its victim into anaphylactic shock. What this means is anyone stung should be given immediate treatment or death could follow. Yikes! Death by ant bite is certainly not something worthy of the Guiness World Record.

read more "Top 5 Most Dangerous Ants in the World"

The Panda Ant

The Panda Ant got its name due to their hair coloration resembling that of the Chinese Giant Panda.One such fact is the fact that Panda ants are not necessarily ants but wasps in the hymenopteran family Multillidae also called velvet ants.

read more "The Panda Ant"

5 Strange Defense Mechanisms in the Animal Kingdom

It’s surprising what some animals would do to save their own skin. With predators ready to pounce on them, these creatures have a very strange way of defending themselves and live to tell the tale.

Horror Frogs

With a name like that, you’d think that these frogs are too scary to actually have any other animals messing with them. Also known as hairy frogs, they would go as far as breaking their toe bones when they’re being threatened. These bones puncture their skin and turns into a set of claws that they can use to scratch predators. These frogs are basically nature’s version of Wolverine from the X-men. Researchers are not really sure with what happens to their bone-claws, but they suggested that once the frog relaxes, the bones would slide beck into their skin.

N. taracua and C. saundersi

There are just time when you feel like you could explode because of anger. However, two bug species actually does this in real like. The N. taracua, a termite found in French Guiana and the C. saundersi, an ant native in Malaysia actually do explode when predators come their way. Both insects have a small gland in their bodies that are filled with poison. The ants contract their abdomens which causes their poison gland to explode while the termites keep theirs in their backs like a backpack. Although they do die in the process, you can’t say they went down without putting up a fight.

Bombardier Beetles

Although it’s common for animals to excrete some kind of toxic or poisonous fluid to save themselves, the bombardier beetle shoots these noxious bodily fluids out of its anus. This beetle has two different glands, one stores hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinones and the other keeps a mixture of enzymes that causes the painful reaction. This reaction is hot enough to reach near boiling point.

Pygmy Sperm Whales

These adorable looking animals seem harmless and helpless to predators, but don’t be fooled, they actually have a trick up their tail which can save their lives. When threated by their natural predators, like orcas, they let out a dark colored fluid that comes from their anus. They use this like smoke screen. When the fluid is secreted, they use their tails to spread it around and make their escape.

Texas Horned Lizard

These lizards are well known for their strange defense mechanism that seems to have been taken straight out of a horror movie. They have the ability to increase the blood pressure around their head area which causes blood vessels around their eyes to rupture. This spurts out blood and other bodily fluids to a distance of around 5 feet. This does cause them to lose a third of their blood supply, but it’s enough to help them run off and survive.

read more "5 Strange Defense Mechanisms in the Animal Kingdom"

Entomologists Discover New Form of Social Parasitism in Ants

The Mirror turtle ant (Cephalotes specularis) – an insect recently discovered in Brazil by entomologist Dr Scott Powell of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences and his Brazilian colleagues – is the first-known species of ant to use visual mimicry to parasitize another ant species, according to a paper published in the October 2014 issue of the journal American Naturalist.

Dr Powell first discovered the mirror turtle ant while conducting fieldwork in Brazil.

He had climbed up into a tree to observe the thousands of hyper-aggressive host ants on their search for food, when he noticed that one thing wasn’t quite like the others.

“The mirror turtle ant nests just inches away from the well-guarded enemy enclave.”

“The host ants, Crematogaster ampla, travel by the thousands on a busy highway system, dropping chemical messages to their fellow workers along the way.”

“During rush hour, the mirror turtle ants, also colored black, dive out of their nest and rapidly merge into the high-speed traffic.”

“Once inside the host’s foraging network, the mirror turtle ants disguise themselves among the enemy workers by mirroring their unique body movements.”

“The impostors go largely unnoticed as they quickly weave through traffic lanes and dodge the host ants.”

“This mimicking behavior allows the parasitic ants to successfully locate and exploit the host’s food resources.”

In spy terms, this new form of social parasitism allows mirror turtle ants to steal food from an enemy.

“I did a true double-take when I first saw this new species. As I turned away, after seeing what appeared to be large numbers of host foragers, I noticed that a couple of the ants I had just laid eyes on were not quite like the others. Turning back around, I managed to re-find the few peculiar ants in the masses of host ants, and everything followed from there,” Dr Powell explained.

Left: Crematogaster ampla minor worker in defensive posture on a tree in the type locality of Cephalotes specularis. Right: Cephalotes specularis mirroring posture of its host, Crematogaster ampla. Image credit: Scott Powell et al.

He and his colleagues conducted additional experiments to better characterize the different components of the parasite-host interaction of Cephalotes specularis and Crematogaster ampla.

They watched as the mirror turtle ants raised their backsides in the air, imitating the distinctive posture of host ants.

They also observed the parasitic ants’ keen capacity to ‘eavesdrop’ on the host ants’ pheromone-based foraging trails.

The mirror turtle ants are so skilled at this, in fact, that they are better at following the chemical trails of the host ant than those of their own workers.

The study also revealed that mirror turtle ants were embedded within a whopping 89 percent of host territories.

Dr Powell, who is the lead author of the paper on the team’s findings, said: “beyond the fascinating biology of this new ant, we appear to have a rare window into the early stages of the evolution of social parasitism, before the parasite has lost much of its free-living biology. This promises to help us better understand the general pressures that tip a species towards a parasitic lifestyle.”

Source: Here

read more "Entomologists Discover New Form of Social Parasitism in Ants"

The High-Flying Ant With a Bite Like a Bear Trap

There’s an invasive species conquering new territory in the southeastern United States. It has gnarly jaws, a formidable sting, and the ability to launch itself into the air like a bottle rocket. These insects are known as trap-jaw ants, and they could be heading to a backyard near you.

Most trap-jaw ants belong to the genus Odontomachus, named for their mandibles, or mouthparts, which are capable of opening 180 degrees.

“They look like little hammerhead sharks walking around,” said D. Magdalena Sorger.

Sorger has been studying these curious insects as part of her PhD research at North Carolina State University. She published a review of the trap-ant species living in the United States with co-authors Joe MacGown, Brendon Boudinot, and Mark Deyrup in the May issue of Zootaxa.

When Ants Go Marching

There are four species of trap-jaw ants native to the United States. Sorger and her co-authors were interested in the spread of an invasive and particularly aggressive species from South America called Odontomachus haematodus.

This species has apparently been living in North America for about 50 years, but new surveys show O. haematodus is on the move and now common across numerous states on the Gulf Coast.

What changed over the last half century? Sorger said the population might have been building up before it spread out, or perhaps changes to the climate provided conditions better suited to the species’ success.

Meet the Neighbors

You might think an ant with massive mandibles would be clumsy, but scientists have found that the trap-jaw ant’s bite is among the fastest known movements in the animal kingdom.

“Trap-jaw ants have little sensory hairs on the inside of their jaws,” said Sheila Patek, a biologist who studies the evolutionary mechanics of movements at Duke University. Patek explained that these hairs are linked directly to the muscles that hold the jaw open. “So they can fire those latch muscles even faster than their brain can process.”

Jumping Ants? Sort Of.

Grabbing and stunning prey aren’t the only things those mandibles are good for. When threatened, trap-jaw ants fire their bite against the ground with so much force that it hurls them into the air like popcorn out of a frying pan.

When a whole army of trap-jaw ants does this at once, Patek says it can get a little scary.

“The next thing you know you have this ant flying through the air that you can’t even see, it’s moving so fast, with a big stinger on the end of its abdomen,” she said. “It is really nerve-racking working with them.”

Source: Here

read more "The High-Flying Ant With a Bite Like a Bear Trap"

The remarkable self-organization of ants

Give a colony of garden ants a week and a pile of dirt, and they'll transform it into an underground edifice about the height of a skyscraper in an ant-scaled city. Without a blueprint or a leader, thousands of insects moving specks of dirt create a complex, spongelike structure with parallel levels connected by a network of tunnels. Some ant species even build living structures out of their bodies: army ants and fire ants in Central and South America assemble themselves into bridges that smooth their path on foraging expeditions, and certain types of fire ants cluster into makeshift rafts to escape floods.

How do insects with tiny brains engineer such impressive structures?

Scientists have been studying the social behavior of ants and other insects for decades, searching for chemical cues and other signals that the insects use to coordinate behavior. Much of this work has focused on understanding how ants decide where to forage or build their homes. But new research combining observations of ant behavior with modern imaging techniques and computational modeling is beginning to reveal the secrets of ant construction. It turns out that ants perform these complex tasks by obeying a few simple rules.

"People are finally starting to crack the problem of producing these structures, which are either made out of soil or the ants themselves," said Stephen Pratt, a biologist at Arizona State University. The organization of insect societies is a marquee example of a complex decentralized system that arises from the interactions of many individuals, he said.

Source: Here

read more "The remarkable self-organization of ants"

Billions Of Rasberry Crazy Ants To Invade Southern Texas, Species Is ‘More Powerful’ Than Fire Ants

Houston is bracing for an incursion by billions of hairy, six-legged intruders. The Rasberry crazy ant, egged on by warmer weather, is expected to emerge from its winter hibernation and overrun the southern Texas city, and 20 other counties surrounding it, within the next few weeks.

The Rasberry crazy ant, named for the exterminator Tom Rasberry who discovered the ants in 2002, are originally from South America but are thought to have arrived in the U.S. aboard cargo ships in the 1930s. CBS Houston reports that the ants are known for their erratic behavior and their penchant for getting into and ruining electrical equipment.

They’re also more destructive and harder to manage than their cousins, the fire ants. The crazy ant has been known to fight and kill fire ants, even outpacing them when it comes to collecting food.

Source: Here

read more "Billions Of Rasberry Crazy Ants To Invade Southern Texas, Species Is ‘More Powerful’ Than Fire Ants "

Worker Ants Build Rafts to Escape Floods and Protect the Vulnerable Queen

When hit by floods, ants display an extreme ability to assemble together as a group and form floating rafts using the brood's buoyancy to save themselves as well as the queen.

The study led by researchers from University of Lausanne, Switzerland, reveals the strategy used by ants to face floods and protect the queen including the larvae and pupae. The researchers observed that the ants build floating rafts and use the whole brood's buoyancy and the recovery ability to lower the rate of injury and death.  Also they place the queen in the middle of the raft and protect it from all sides.

Source: Here

read more "Worker Ants Build Rafts to Escape Floods and Protect the Vulnerable Queen "

Crazy Ants Use Formic Acid To Wash Off Fire-Ant Venom; Becoming Dominant Invasive Species In US Southeast

Tan-colored crazy ants can produce a compound that helps them detoxify wounds sustained in altercations with venomous fire ants, a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin has shown, adding that invasive crazy ants are rapidly displacing fire ants in areas across the southeastern U.S.

When a crazy ant is smeared with the venom in a fight with a fire ant, it secretes formic acid from its abdominal glands, transfers it to its mouth and then spreads it on its body -- a practice that makes crazy ants almost invincible in combat with fire ants over resources such as food and nesting sites. In lab experiments, the crazy ants that were allowed to detoxify themselves had a 98 percent survival rate, according to the study, published in the journal Science Express.

Source: Here

read more "Crazy Ants Use Formic Acid To Wash Off Fire-Ant Venom; Becoming Dominant Invasive Species In US Southeast"

ASU scientists discover that ants, like humans, can change their priorities

All animals have to make decisions every day. Where will they live and what will they eat? How will they protect themselves? They often have to make these decisions as a group, too, turning what may seem like a simple choice into a far more nuanced process. So, how do animals know what’s best for their survival?

For the first time, Arizona State University researchers have discovered that at least in ants, animals can change their decision-making strategies based on experience. They can also use that experience to weigh different options.

Source: Here

read more "ASU scientists discover that ants, like humans, can change their priorities"

Giant Ant Colony Excavated, You won’t believe what they build underground!

This abandoned ant colony revealed how genius these tiny creatures are. Ants live underground – we usually see a relatively small exit on the surface. But you won’t believe the structures they build below. A group of researchers, armed with tons of cement, will show you.

Source: Here

read more "Giant Ant Colony Excavated, You won’t believe what they build underground!"

Southeast braces for ‘crazy ants’ invasion

Researchers at the University of Texas are warning that the invasive species from South America has the potential to change the ecological balance in the southeastern United States, largely because the ants can wipe out colonies of what’s been widely considered the insect villain of the region, the fire ant.

The crazy ants, officially called “Tawny crazy ants,” are omnivores that can take over an area by both killing what’s there and starving out what they don’t kill, said Ed LeBrun, a research associate with the Texas invasive species research program at the Brackenridge Field Laboratory in the College of Natural Sciences.

Source: Here

read more "Southeast braces for ‘crazy ants’ invasion"

New ant species! Scientists uncover treasure trove...of ants!

A total of 33 previously unknown ant species have been discovered in Central America and the Caribbean. The nearly blind ants live in leaf litter and rotten logs in rainforests and are all quite tiny, each less than one-twelfth of an inch (2 millimeters) in length, according to new research. 

Scientists named about one-third of the ants after Mayan deities, said Jack Longino, an entomologist at the University of Utah, in a statement from the school.

Source: Here

read more "New ant species! Scientists uncover treasure trove...of ants!"

Ants and Grasshoppers

Ants and grasshoppers have long been assumed as symbiotic creatures, whose existence is assumed to bear the ups and downs of surviving together with mutual benefits gained by each other.

However, as popular as the symbiotic relationship between ants and grasshoppers is, this assumption remains to be quite false, given the fact that ants and grasshoppers don’t actually share a bond or relationship of any kind.

The Disney-Pixar animated feature A Bug’s Life, released in 1998, delved into the plight of an ant colony, whose existence was “tended to” by a group of grasshoppers. In the movie, ants were defined as workers who had to collect a regular quota of foraged food products for the grasshoppers, as the grasshoppers provided the ants with a protection insurance of some sort.

As popular as the movie was, many viewers were led into thinking that such a relationship does exist between ants and grasshoppers, without realizing that the movie’s plot was actually taken after a popular fable entitled The Ant and the Grasshopper, with the fable’s moral story telling everyone of the value of hard work and preparing ahead.

When talking about real ants and real grasshoppers, the two actually don’t share a mutual relationship or a symbiotic relationship, with each of them having their own share of survival challenges and concerns.

But the absence of this fabled mutual relationship doesn’t exist, it doesn’t mean that ants and grasshoppers don’t encounter each other every now and then. However, these encounters are typically based on the pretexts of necessity, not necessarily because there is a mutual understanding shared by the two.

read more "Ants and Grasshoppers"

Ants Wallpapers

Read more Ants info

read more "Ants Wallpapers"