Worker ants paralyze and kill termites from afar
Worker ants from a particular species of African ants have potent venom that can paralyze and kill termites from a distance, according to a study published Dec. 14 in the online journal PLoS ONE.
The research, conducted using a species called Crematogaster striatula, showed that chemicals the worker ants emit from their stinger have three functions: they attract nearby nestmates; repel alien ants; and paralyze and kill termites. While the first two effects require the ants to come into direct contact with the chemical, it appears that the termite effect can occur from a distance, without direct contact. This is important because, while alien ants competing for sugary food sources will retreat upon sensing the chemical, termites remain and defend their territory.
The long-range activity of the ant venom protects them from the termites without having to come into direct contact. The researchers, led by Angelique Vetillard of the University of Toulouse in France, also characterized the specific chemicals in the venom, providing initial clues about the source of the venom toxicity.
The implications of this research "are promising because they provide a basis from which further studies can be conducted in the search for natural insecticides, including new molecules effective against insects resistant to currently-used insecticides", says Dr. Vetillard.
More information: Rifflet A, Tene N, Orivel J, Treilhou M, Dejean A, et al. (2011) Paralyzing Action from a Distance in an Arboreal African Ant Species. PLoS ONE 6(12):e28571. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0028571
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Public Library of Science
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Dec 15, 2011
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I think the point here is that these projectile liquids were thought to be 'contact only' weapons up to now.
This seems to indicate that the found weaponry is 'area of effect' (i.e. it can paralyze tremites without a direct hit).
Dec 16, 2011
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That's just what the article said. All I was saying is that what was missing is that the ants would have been at a disadvantage against termites, because they are already known to have long range weapons. Let's not go round in circles.
Dec 16, 2011
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Dec 16, 2011
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Because an article about "balance of forces" should describe both sides of the balance, even if part of that is "well known", because some peope will always forget some detail or other, that could be important. Just a good principle to go by, that's all.
Dec 16, 2011
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Dec 16, 2011
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If you dismiss the context as not relevant, then the article is stamp-collecting, not science.
Dec 16, 2011
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Or would you also include that termites use pheromones in an article about ant pheromones?
Dec 16, 2011
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Only if the one was relevant to the evolution of the other, as is the case for the spray weapons, I would have thought. I thought this site dealt with evolutionary science, not biological stamp collecting, but even the science need not include everything on earth, only the most relevant bits, and the armaments of one side are highly relevant to the armaments of the other.
It is a fallacy to argue that you shouldn't include anything just because there COULD POSSIBLY be something else. In fact, it would be quite intereting to compare the range, lethality and "costs" of the two spray weapons, but this doesn't even get a look in if you don't mention the "balance of forces" at all.
Dec 16, 2011
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