What are Army Ants?
Army ants, or legionary ants, are a prominent group of aggressive ants, which live almost exclusively in the tropical regions of Central and South America. They are ant species which move in large swarms, causing destruction to their environment and preying on small insects and other organisms as they travel in search of food.
Army ants have extraordinary physical adaptations which allow them to survive in their environment, including their attribute of never settling in one place for too long since they are constantly in search of food. They have powerful mandibles which can easily rip through plant life and grass in search of food while they travel. Despite the size of the colony, they are very organized in the way that they search for and transport food, which allows them to remain a successful species.
What Do Army Ants Eat?
The primary diet of army ants is made up of seed pods, arthropods, and small insects that can be found within the environment as they travel in search of food. They use their great strength to rip apart the seed pods and eat the contents, which is known to provide them with a large number of different vitamins and minerals that they need to remain healthy. Additionally, they also consume vast amounts of invertebrates such as spiders, worms, and beetles.
Army ants also frequently hunt during their travels, meaning they attack and consume other animals that are much larger than themselves. They have been known to take down small reptiles, birds, and even small mammals if the opportunity arises. The most impressive aspect of their hunts is that these ants typically work together to congregate, overpowering their prey and then sharing the spoils among the group.
Gastrointestinal Anatomy of Army Ants
Army ants are well-adapted to consume different types of food that can be found in their environment. Their digestive systems consist of a particular cocktail of beneficial bacteria and protozoa, which allows them to break down the cellulose found in plant matter.
Moreover, they also have the ability to digest a variety of proteins and fats. This allows the army ants to easily consume whatever food they find in their travels and extract the necessary nutrients. These acts together make up a significant part of army ants’ diet.
Nectar and Honey as Part of their Diet
Nectar and honey are also parts of the army ants’ diet and are usually consumed in the afternoon. This portion of their diet provides the colony with not only the necessary nutrients and minerals, but also aids the ants in keeping their energy high for the next day’s foraging.
Moreover, this consumption of nectar and honey often helps them to survive during the dry season when food is scarce. The consumption of nectar and honey helps them to weight their diets, not only energy wise, but also nutritionally. Therefore, this aspect of the diet is essential to their survival as a species.
Amassing to Large Prey
When the opportunity arises, the army ants use their immense numbers to amass and attack much larger prey. Through the use of their highly developed instincts and organization, the ants are able to either destabilize, outmuscle and smother their prey into submission, or overpower them through their sheer numbers.
This ritual of amassing on large prey is not always successful and sometimes the colony has to retreat and look for easier prey. However, when they do manage to take down larger prey, it is often quickly carried back to the nest shortly after the attack is over.
The Significance of Scavenging
While the army ants will go after living prey and food sources, they often turn to scavenging as well. This is significant for the colony, as the process of scavenging for dead or rotting animals and plants provides members of the colony with highly nutritious food sources.
In addition to this, scavenging is a highly efficient way for the colony to get the necessary energy that is required for building their homes and nests as well as forage for food in large numbers. Finally, this also helps to lessen the burden of having to search for food day in and day out, as there is always a source of readily available food for the ants.
How Army Ants Defend Themselves
As one can imagine, army ants rely on their strength and numbers to effectively hunt and gather food and defend themselves against predators. They use their impressive strength and mandibles to rip apart and overpower their prey, while their sheer numbers and overwhelming force are often enough to scare off potential predators.
Moreover, when threatened, army ants also use their impressive speed to quickly escape danger. The combination of these traits often give army ants the ability to outrun and outmaneuver any potential predators that may seek to attack them.
Relationships with Other Species
Army ants are highly social creatures and maintain positive relationships with other species in their environment. They help clean the environment by consuming different types of dead organisms and provide neighboring species with food sources by spreading seeds and other nutrients in the soil.
Moreover, it’s worth noting that some species of birds use the ants to their advantage. These species of birds follow the ants in their travels to quickly find new food sources that can be gathered and consumed as the ants pass by. Therefore, birds and army ants share a positive and beneficial relationship with one another.
Importance of Army Ants
Despite their destructive nature, army ants are very important to their environments and the surrounding species. They help to keep the natural balance of their environment by providing other species with the necessary food sources, while also cleaning up the environment in the process. This makes them an important species to the overall well-being of the area.
Army ants also provide a valuable insight into nature and how complex societies can form in their environment. This is something that scientists often study, as the ants are remarkably efficient at gathering food and building their homes and nests.
Food Storage Techniques
To supplement their primary diet of plant matter and small insects, army ants also have a few innovative storing techniques in order to maintain their food sources. The ants are known to carry pieces of food with their legs, often bringing back larger food sources to their colonies which allows them to be prepared for potential shortages in food.
In addition, the ants have also been observed to run away with larger food sources and store them in areas away from the colony. This ensures the future supply of food while also keeping it away from potential predators within the colony. This is done on an individual basis with each ant storing the food in its own separate area.
Insects as Part of the Diet
Army ants prefer a diet that largely consists of insects. They feed on a variety of species, ranging from beetles, worms and various species of spiders, to name a few. They also feed on termites and a few species of grasshoppers.
In terms of food sources, army ants will sometimes venture further away from their primary environment in search of greater food sources. For instance, if their primary source of food becomes scarce, the ants will often search for different types of food sources that can be found as far as several hundred yards away.
Pheromones and Communication
Army ants also use a variety of different pheromones and scents in order to communicate with one another. These scents act as signals, and can tell the other ants whether they have found food, notify the rest of the colony that they need help, or signal distress when under attack.
The ability of army ants to communicate, combined with their outgoing and aggressive nature, makes them a remarkable species that can survive and adapt to the harsh conditions of their environment.
Adapting to a Wide Range of Temperatures
Due to the fact that army ants inhabit a wide range of environments, they often have to adapt to different temperatures in order to survive. During the summer months, they search for food and water sources in order to survive, while during the winter, they feed on stored food sources and dig their nests deeper into the ground to insulate them from the cold weather.
Therefore, it is not just the food sources that allow them to thrive in their environment, but rather the adaptability of the ants during different times of the year. This is a key factor in their success as a species.
Conclusion
In conclusion, army ants have an incredibly varied diet, consisting of both living animals and scavenged food sources. They have strong mandibles that allow them to hunt and consume large seed pods, while also having efficient techniques to store food in their colonies. They also rely on other species to survive and maintain their environment, forming highly complex relationships with them. The diversity of the army ants’ diet, combined with their natural physical adaptations and highly organized society makes them a remarkable species of ants.
