The Greatest Sacrifice
Posted by Qais Fulton
It wasn’t until I moved from the East Coast to the West Coast that my opinion on ants changed from “loathsome menace” to “fascinating hive beasts”. In my journey toward armchair entomology I’ve come across a number of strange and fascinating ants, but somehow overlooked this spiteful creature.
Camponotus Saundersi (Latin for “Fuck you, buddy”) has two glands filled with toxins running the length of its body. Any animal aiming to make this ant a meal is subject to the toxins in those glands. But poison animals are so passe. Camponotus Saundersi goes one spiteful step further than those half-assing poison hoarders. When cornered the ant will clench its glands, resulting in an explosion of toxins. Yes that’s right, this ant will suicide bomb a predator rather than allow itself to suffer the indignity of digestion.
Any animal that would commit willful self destruction just to spite its antagonist is OK in my book.
The Exploding Lake & other weird natural detonations [Dark Roasted Blend]
Categories: Suicide, Ants, Insects
Posted at 3:03 pm on June 19, 2008
8 Comments -
Groovy! So glad you liked my little piece on Dark Roasted ….
Comment by M.Christian — June 19, 2008 @ 4:19 pm
Etymology is the study of the history of words. Entomology is the study of insects. Unless your “armchair etymology” actually did lead you to become interested in ants (unlikely).
Comment by Zersturer — June 19, 2008 @ 4:44 pm
Wow. I can’t believe I did that. I definitely know the difference between the two. Thank you and my humblest apologies.
Comment by Qais Fulton — June 19, 2008 @ 4:46 pm
Apologies accepted. But know that if it happens again, I’ll suicide bomb your house with ants.
Comment by Zersturer — June 19, 2008 @ 4:52 pm
Nature’s pop rocks.
Comment by Goththom — June 19, 2008 @ 5:46 pm
This post is useless without video!
Comment by cleve — June 19, 2008 @ 6:02 pm
Another case of man imitating nature, a Pyrrhic victory indeed.
Comment by BobDog — June 20, 2008 @ 10:14 am
“Any animal that would commit willful self destruction just to spite its antagonist is OK in my book.”
This is why we must bulldoze your houses and erect settlements in their place. YOU BROUGHT THIS ON YOURSELVES!
Comment by Ross Rosenberg — June 20, 2008 @ 12:19 pm