Talk about a martyr! A species of Malaysian ant known as Camponotus saundersi can actually commit suicide to fend off attackers and defend their colony.
The tiny exploding ants belong to a genus of carpenter ants typically found in Malaysia and Brunei. Their colonies are often under threat from weaver ants seeking to take over their territories.
That’s where these little soldier ants come in: when provoked, they can self-destruct and take their enemies down with them.
So how does it work? The ants have enlarged glands that run down the entire length of their body and produce a sticky, corrosive substance. Once they get close to their attackers, the ants contract their abdomen, causing the glands to explode and spray the deadly venom all over their enemies. The glue-like poison traps and kills most small victims, or at the very least, scares off any predator large enough to escape.
This self-defense mechanism was named autothysis by researchers Maschwitz and Maschwitz. The technique is common to other species of carpenter ants, as well as some termites.
One species of termite called the Neocapritermes taracua have external pouches containing toxic blue crystals which react with saliva, paralyzing and killing any attacker that tries to eat them.
Watch a video of this amazing ant below:
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