One of the largest species of ants on our planet is considered a bulldog ant. He is also the most dangerous. At the time of a bite, this insect injects a portion of the poison into the victim’s blood, which can cause severe, rather prolonged pain. A severe allergic reaction is sometimes 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, it is better to stay away from them.
Description
Australia is the place where the bulldog ant is most commonly found. 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.
Outwardly, bulldog ants are very reminiscent of wingless wasps. The similarity is especially reinforced by their large eyes. The vision in these insects is poorly developed, because they hunt mainly at night, when it is dark. But to settle, nevertheless, they prefer on well-lit by the sun and warm slopes. One interesting feature of the body structure of the bulldog ant is the sound organ located between the segments of the abdomen. It is a strip of small notches. When one segment hits another, a sound resembles chirping.
Lifestyle
The community of ants functions based on the caste division of all its members, according to which roles are distributed. 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 other inhabitants of the anthill and performs only one function - to create new offspring. Workers are barren. They build cells for laying eggs with the uterus, look after the larvae and hunt for food.
These ants usually inhabit forest regions. The nest is being built in a sunny meadow. Its central entrance is wide enough and noticeable from afar. When an enemy approaches him, an alarm pops up an array of ants, which immediately attack the intruder, glaring at him. Thanks to such a dead grip, this insect got the name "ant-bulldog". A photo of his powerful jaws confirms that name.
Behavior features
The singing of these insects is described by many travelers 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” again. At the same time, not every participant sings in time with the neighbors, but it turns out pretty smoothly.
The poison of ants is very dangerous - it is able to destroy blood cells, causing a state of shock and rapid death of the victim. In this case, the insect can use its sting repeatedly. While populating only the territories of Australia, Tasmania, New Caledonia, bulldog ants feel like they are real masters there. Moving these species to other parts of the world can lead to serious problems. In the meantime, the excessive aggressiveness of the 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 battles, when a bulldog ant acts against a scorpion, a red-backed spider or a bear, it usually comes out victorious, instantly hitting its victim.
Nutrition
These insects are real predators. Worker ants go hunting alone and carry all their prey to the nest. If it turns out to be too large, other individuals rush to help. The bulldog ant usually hunts for spiders and insects smaller than itself. Adults carry parts of their victim’s body into the nest and drop them into the larvae, which suck out the food. Like other ants, bulldogs can feed each other belched with goiter food, but do this infrequently.
Breeding
At a certain point, when the female is ready for mating, she flies out of the nest, where about a hundred males meet her. Mating with one of them occurs on the ground, after which the individuals part. In a fertilized female, sperm remains in the seminal cavity. The male soon dies. Sperm serves to fertilize eggs that the female will lay throughout her life.
After mating, the wings immediately disappear, and the ancestor of the future colony goes to look for a place suitable for masonry, which most often is some rotten tree. From the eggs, labor ants are born, who have to take care of the larvae and the uterus. Two years later, the queen again lays eggs, from which sexually mature females and males hatch. The function of these individuals is the formation of new colonies.
Bulldog ant lives on average from 1 to 3 years. The life expectancy of the uterus is approximately 20 years. The anthill population is almost completely renewed during the year.