Exploding Ants
July 11th, 2006
According to an episode of Animal Planet’s Most Extreme, a special type of ant found in Brunei and Malaysia actually uses its glands to explode itself when the colony is threatened, spraying toxic chemicals over its enemies. (Talk about kamikaze!) Apparently you can produce a similar effect by feeding regular ants corn meal or grits with water.
Links via Journal of Chemical Ecology, Wikipedia
Related Posts: Jesus Lizard, Using Squid Ink, Giant Jellyfish & Global Warming
Popularity: 14% [?]
July 11th, 2006 at 3:48 pm
Now that is some serious dedication.
July 11th, 2006 at 3:54 pm
Awesome post! What about flying exploding ants? And flying exploding ants with lasers!
July 12th, 2006 at 1:01 am
i <3 lasers!
July 13th, 2006 at 1:08 am
Hormigas Kamikaze…
Por lo visto existe un tipo de hormiga capaz de hacerse explotar a sà misma lanzando asà materiales tóxicos para disuadir a depredadores de atacar una colonia. ¡Casi nada! Por lo visto lo de los "mártires" no es sólo cosa de humanos….
September 13th, 2006 at 11:46 am
[...] A twisted form of Biomimicry comes to mind when I see this image ; ) We might remember from high school biology class that different animals in nature communicate through a variety of ways. Some send chemical signals, like exploding ants, while others have colorful displays, like the Anole family of lizards which puffs out a colorful dewlap and who could forget the exceptionally cute but signal sending puffer fish? [...]
February 4th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW, it’s exploding! that is sooooooooooo GROSS.why did u even put this picture on here???????well watever
April 23rd, 2007 at 5:55 am
[...] curiosas estas hormigas que explotan sus propios cuerpos lanzando a su vez un compuesto venenoso como mecanismo de defensa de la [...]
June 26th, 2007 at 10:01 am
Hormigas que explotan
September 27th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
I also agree that there should be flying exploding ants with frickin lazer beams attached to their frickin heads!!
Dr. evil for govorner!!! lol
November 7th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
when an exploding ant explode does it dies?
November 7th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
also does sometimes when the anty explodes does it misses?
November 7th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
i think that this is so gross but im reading about it and it is also kind of cool.
November 7th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
do you thing exploding ants are cool? well i sort of but not completely i sure would hate if a exploding ant gets on me and explode i would be so mad.Coooooooooooooooool.
November 30th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
What if they exploded chocolate? That’d be okay.
December 9th, 2007 at 11:40 pm
If they exploded chocolate, we could cohabitate them with e. coli and produce electric poop fuel! So yah, that’d be great.
March 14th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Dear Mom I hope you will like this
March 14th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
I hope you like this
November 3rd, 2008 at 12:00 pm
This is awsome and the most coolest part is that im only 12 and im a girl! i knew this and thia is also true, feed ants sugar and baking soda, then wait for a little, the ants wont be able to release the gas and it will build up then they will litterly explode!!!!!!!!!!!!!! woooooo! oh and if your a kid, go to clubpenguin.com! im 101cutiegal, hope you can find me!
February 14th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Apparently, those are radical Muslim ants
March 11th, 2009 at 6:57 am
Excuse m`whaa What IDUY I DOWN’T Undastand!