2018-02-18 12:44:50
Researchers from the Julius-Maximilians University of Würzburg, in Germany; they make the astonishing discovery that a species of African ant cares for the injuries of its wounded comrades in combat. Without these care, 80% of the injured ants would die, but thanks to them, only 10% die. This seemingly altruistic behavior has not been observed before in any other invertebrate species.
These ants, which if not doctors are at least nurses, belong to the species known as the Matabele ant (Megaponera analis is its scientific name). These ants inhabit sub-Saharan Africa, extending from about 15º north of the equator to southern Africa. The name of this ant has been given in honor of the Matabele, a tribe of terrible South African warriors who conquered their neighboring tribes during the 19th century.
The Matabele are ants that only feed on termites, which they hunt and capture in detachments of between 200 and 600 individuals. Before mounting the attack, the Matabele send out scout ants to search for areas where there may be termites feeding or the termite mounds where they are staying.
The explorer communicates to her companions the information that she has found a number of prey worth hunting. A detachment of ants is then organized to form a column behind the scout ant.
The battle is fierce. Termite workers may be comfortable prey, but termite soldiers are not easy meat. These fiercely defend the workers and are very strong, being able to kill the ants with their jaws or, at least, tear off one or more legs, which is often frequent in skirmishes between these two species.
Injured ants release a volatile substance, another pheromone, which informs their companions of their condition. They come to the rescue and in many cases transport the injured ant to the anthill. Scientists check that healthy ants lick the wounds of their companions very carefully for several minutes. This behavior allows for much more frequent healing. Surprisingly, ants that have lost only one or two legs, when healed, can adapt their locomotion and with their remaining legs walk even at the same speed as healthy ants. They can thus take care of the chores of the colony or even join their mates again in hunting parties.
These investigations, in addition to allowing us to marvel at them, it is possible that the saliva of these ants contains antimicrobial or antifungal substances, which will have to be studied.
Referencia: Erik T. Frank et al. (2018). Wound treatment and selective help in a termite-hunting ant. Published 14 February 2018.DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2457
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