What's on your mind when you look at ants? Especially when there is a colony of them, working together in line diligently to gather food and resources. They may seem like the most united insects ever with their Queen to rule over and manage them- very systematic and civilized. But don't get fooled by this appearance. Underneath all these, there is a naturally occurring cycle of actions which humans perceive to be cruel. Let's read to find out the secret of ants behind their hardworking nature!
Ants. Those cute tiny insects that are only after your unwanted cookie crumbs. How can these little fellas possibly be dangerous? Did you know that in ants’ world, wars are epic, brutal, and merciless. Even greater than the wars of mankind. Dive into the brutal warfare of ants as this is a story of how Polyergus ants invade, kill, steal younglings, enslave, and manipulate other colonies. This entry is heavily inspired by an educational and scientific video entitled ‘The Horror of Slaver Ants’ by a YouTube Channel called Kurzgesagt, which is a great channel by the way ,make sure to check it out!
The story begins in Formica colony, where the ants live humbly with simple lives. Formicas are known for their exceptional warriors, skillful carpenters, and simple aphid farmers. Their lives are so peaceful that their presence is often ignored by humans as they rarely disturb them. Standing afar, is a Polyergus ant, scouting upon the colony of tens of thousands of Formicas. The Polyergus returns to its colony with its sinister intention.
Source: Reddit
The Polyergus spreads pheromones, convincing its warriors to invade Formica. The raid begins after a few hours. The invaders march in a ten meter line to the Formica colony. Pebbles and sticks are moved aside to make room for Polyergus to storm in. Those who fight back will be killed. Polyergus’ sharp and strong mandibles pierce through their body. The Formicas counterattack with their acid shower from their abdomens but Polyergus skin is immune to them. In fact, Polyergus is the master of chemical warfare. They excrete pheromones upon entering deeper in their colony. The type of pheromone that makes a Formica confused and unable to perform a strategic fight plan.
The war continues. The Formicas are mercilessly stabbed by Polyergus’ mandibles until… the arrival of Polyergus Queen. The Polyergus Queen steps into the middle of the battle, releasing an immense pheromone that the Formicas can do nothing about but to step back and make way for the queen. The Polyergus Queen confronts the Queen of Formica. She challenges her for a fateful duel. In the epic battle between two monstrous monarchs, The Polyergus Queen defeats the Queen of Formica. She cuts her head off with her mandibles and claims her prize — she smudges herself with the liquid of the Queen of Formica. With her new pheromone, the Formicas mistaken her as their queen. The Formicas approach her and clean their new ruler.
Meanwhile, the rest of Polyergus soldiers have reached the brood section. The Formica children are taken. The war is officially over. The Polyergus empire returns to their colony with new servants and broods. Most of the broods will be raised to be their loyal slaves while the rest of it will be eaten as a snack.
Once the eggs are hatched, Polyergus ants will cover them with their pheromones. The Formicas are raised with immense loyalty to the Polyergus. They grow up only to take care of their masters, build nests for them, feed them, and protect them unconditionally. The pheromones will greatly brainwash them that when the Formicas meet their own species someday, they will not greet them as old friends, but as the enemies of the great Polyergus empire.
You see, Polyergus are a bunch of useless ants. They don’t know how to clean themselves, build nests, or find food on their own. They evolve specifically to raid other colonies, enslave them, and force them to serve. In fact, in a Polyergus colony, only 10-20% are actually Polyergus, the rest are slaves whose minds were brutally manipulated.
Meanwhile, back at the Formica colony, most of them survived. The casualties are not immense. The colony will thrive. Formicas will rebuild. Because that is exactly what Polyergus wanted. The Polyergus will return with the same raid, same strategy, and same intention, which is to kill their queen and take their brood. This cycle will never stop.
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