One of the largest species of ants in ourthe planet is considered to be an ant bulldog. He is also the most dangerous. At the time of the bite, this insect injects a portion of poison into the blood of the victim, capable of causing a strong, rather long pain. Sometimes a severe allergic reaction is observed. The bite of one ant is not fatal, but the attack of several individuals can lead to anaphylactic shock and in some cases - to death. Therefore, keep away from them better away.
Australia is the place where most oftenthere is an ant bulldog. The size of his body is an average of 4 cm. It is covered with short hairs. The first thing that catches your eye when looking at these insects is their long (up to 5 mm) jaws. They are equipped with several notches, thanks to which they become a real tool for catching prey. In addition to powerful jaws, ants have a sting, from which many people and animals die.
Externally, bulldog ants are very reminiscent ofwingless wasps. Similarity is especially strengthened by their large eyes. Vision in these insects is poorly developed, because they tend to live mostly at night, when it is dark. But to settle, however, prefer on well-lit by the sun and warm slopes. One interesting feature of the body structure of a bulldog ant is the sound organ located between the abdominal segments. It is a strip of small notches. When you hit one segment on another, a sound resembling chirping occurs.
Сообщество муравьев функционирует, основываясь на caste division of all its members, in accordance with which the roles are assigned. In one colony of these insects, there are up to one thousand individuals. At the head is the queen (uterus), which is slightly larger than the rest of the inhabitants of the anthill and performs only one function - to create a new offspring. Workers are barren. They build cells for laying eggs by the uterus, take care of the larvae and harvest food.
These ants usually inhabit forest regions.The nest is built on a sunny glade. Its central entrance is wide enough and visible from afar. When an enemy approaches, a multitude of ants jumps out to meet him on alarm, who immediately attack the intruder, digging into him. Thanks to such a dead grip and this insect got the name "bulldog ant". The photo of his powerful jaws confirms this name.
The singing of these insects is described by manytravelers who managed to hear it. Ants begin their chirping almost simultaneously and finish the same way. After a few seconds, the general choir resumes its "singing". At the same time, not all of its participants are singing in time with their neighbors, but it turns out to be quite flexible.
The poison of ants is very dangerous - it is capable of destroyingblood cells, causing a state of shock and rapid death of the victim. At the same time, the insect can use its sting repeatedly. While inhabiting only the territory of Australia, Tasmania, New Caledonia, bulldog ants feel like real masters there. Moving these species to other parts of the world can lead to serious problems. Meanwhile, the excessive aggressiveness of bulldogs does not allow them to settle elsewhere - thanks to their fearlessness and violent disposition, they attack everything that gives the slightest signs of life.
In fierce fights, when an ant-bulldog against a scorpion, a red-backed spider or a bear comes forward, he usually emerges victorious, instantly hitting his prey.
Эти насекомые – самые настоящие хищники.Working ants go hunting alone, and all the prey is carried into the nest. If it turns out to be too large, other individuals hurry to help. An ant bulldog usually hunts spiders and smaller insects than it does. Adults carry the parts of their victim's body into the nest and throw them to the larvae that suck the food. Like other ants, bulldogs can feed each other with food spilled from crab, but they do it infrequently.
В определенный момент, когда самка готова к mating, she flies out of the nest, where she meets about a hundred males. Mating with one of them occurs on the ground, after which the individuals part. The fertilized female in the semen remains semen. The male soon dies. The sperm serves to fertilize the eggs, which the female will procrastinate throughout its life.
Крылья после спаривания сразу исчезают, и the ancestor of the future colony is sent to look for a suitable place for masonry, in the quality of which most often serves as a rotten tree. From the eggs, workers of the ants appear, who will take care of the larvae and uterus. Two years later, the queen again lays eggs, from which mature females and males hatch. The function of these individuals is the formation of new colonies.
An ant bulldog lives on average from 1 to 3 years. The life expectancy of the uterus is approximately 20 years. The population of the anthill is almost completely renewed throughout the year.
