2024-09-16 10:19:24
At the end of their life, insects cause a chemical reaction between two objects they carry on their back. A sacrifice to protect their colony, which researchers have finally deciphered.
Over the course of evolution, many species have developed an arsenal of strategies to escape predators. And insects have come up with some of the worst intentions. Since they are not physically matched, many of them do not hesitate to deploy chemical weapons. This is for example the case of certain insects of the genus Formica which produces an acidic poison to neutralize their attacks. Others have developed explosive bombs too…
So South American termites Neocapritermes taracua. From birth, some people accumulate, in two small pockets on the back, an enzyme that takes the form of small blue crystals: blue laccase BP76. In case of danger, older people pull this “bag” to release an enzyme which, when mixed with something else, creates an explosive liquid. A weapon that is sure to be effective, but at the cost of the sacrifice of the individual who drives the system…
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