Since I can remember myself I always found ants fascinating. And I still love reading and learning about them from time to time.
They are just amazing little buggers don't you agree?
And today I learnt about a species that engages in a really disturbing practice..
Let's first start with a picture:
Meet Adetomyrma venatrix, a small blind ant from the Madagascar. Fyi, the specimen depicted above is a typical worker.
So, what's so unique and disturbing about these ants. Well, they are commonly known as Dracula ants, which gives us a hint... They drink blood, but the source of blood is..their own fucking younglings!
Yep, they often feast on the hemolymph of their own larvae and pupae!
So I guess The Cannibal Dracula would be a more fitting name π
Not all is bad though. It turns out that the younglings often survive this brutal behavior and live to grow into healthy adults...that carry on the cannibalistic behavior π π
The whys behind this gruesome behavior are still a mystery but one of the proposed theories is that the hemolyph acts as a much needed supplement for egg production that their natural prey can't provide.
Head of Adetomyrma venatrix worker source
Unfortunately, the species appears to be critically endangered due to habitat loss, so there is a strong chance we will never get any good answers on their grisly feeding practices.
Ok, I hope you enjoyed reading about yet another bizarre creature with me. Maybe I'll dedicate some of my future posts on some other really bizarre ants. Here's a link to Wikipedia if you'd like to read a bit more on the species.
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I love ants, and I thought I knew a fair bit about them, but this species was news to me. Really interesting, and weird.
I've followed this guy on YouTube called Ants Canada for a few years, if you haven't heard of him check him out, you'll be in for a treat.
I will, thanks for mentioning him!
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That's just weird... Maybe they're critically endangered because they suck their young's blood?
Nah just good ol human activity π
Thatβs totally savage. Yeah most things are going to be extinct soon.
Bruh,,, check that stinger it has? They are small but still they do look.... nasty...
And they use it to sting their pupae lmao
Yeahh I read that, nasty business... but they do survive the ordeal mostly I'd assume? Im sure some pupae must die? But that's how their chain works right.
It's a weird ant. I wonder if it's the fact that they cannibalize their own kind that their population can't grow. Now with the environment being damaged, they can't survive.
Nope, just good ol human activity π
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I love ants because being a social insect, they teach the lessons of hardwork, unity and organization. This dracula ant is not different and since it's a worker, then.... Hardwork is its nature.
A very interesting specie.
Earlier I didn't have much knowledge about this aunt, after your post, my knowledge has increased. There are some aunts which are very dangerous.
mhmm! this is using what you have to get what you want being displayed by the Adetomyrma venatrix ant family.
Nasty Sting, you failed to mention that. I hope they die out.
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