Comments on: So named as they drive everything out of their path

So named as they drive everything out of their path

weretable and the undead chairs — Sat, 27 Aug 2005 02:35:11 -0800

Also known as siafu, the ants form colonies of up to 22 million individuals. When on the move, the workers travel in narrow ant highways which are surrounded by the larger soldier ants. Males are also known as sausage flies and are the largest ants found on earth.

By: Hat Maui

Hat Maui — Sat, 27 Aug 2005 03:27:48 -0800

mmm, sausage.

By: gorgor_balabala

gorgor_balabala — Sat, 27 Aug 2005 03:52:17 -0800

yo, if a few thousand of these decided to swarm into my uncovered orifices, i'd be seriously annoyed.

By: jcruelty

jcruelty — Sat, 27 Aug 2005 04:25:55 -0800

Leiningen versus the Ants

By: Devils Rancher

Devils Rancher — Sat, 27 Aug 2005 04:28:36 -0800

We had a swarm of army ants come through our camp 3 years ago in the hills west of Aquismon Mexico. It was a pretty exhilarating event. They stayed on the ground, though, and didn't climb the tents or tables, although the one unlucky guy who had left his tent open had them all over the floor of it. They were pretty uninterested in us, so long as we kept moving. They didn't much care for the campfire, either, and we had a decent "safe zone" around it. You couldn't just stand in the middle of them without getting bit, but fortunately, the swarm initially was only about 4 or 5 meters wide, and eventually consolidated down to a couple of fast-moving trails only 5 or 6 inches wide. We watched with fascination as all the other insects ran from the tide. I recall a 4-legged spider, already missing all his limbs on one side, trying to pull himself sideways out of the swarm. Of course, he failed.

By: Drexen

Drexen — Sat, 27 Aug 2005 06:06:02 -0800

Good story, thanks, jcruelty!

By: Malor

Malor — Sat, 27 Aug 2005 07:07:43 -0800

Leningen is very good, and I thought of that story when I was reading the original post. It was one of my favorite stories in grade school. Thanks for posting the link!

By: Civil_Disobedient

Civil_Disobedient — Sat, 27 Aug 2005 07:52:27 -0800

jcruelty -- I read that story when I was a child, and it was the first thing that popped into my head when I saw the thread! Good find!

By: Civil_Disobedient

Civil_Disobedient — Sat, 27 Aug 2005 07:52:45 -0800

Holy jinx.

By: danb

danb — Sat, 27 Aug 2005 08:28:32 -0800

"Mymercologists (studiers of ants) estimate that up to a third of the planet's animal weight is made up from ants." Holy shit.

By: Ethereal Bligh

Ethereal Bligh — Sat, 27 Aug 2005 09:18:21 -0800

Everything I know about ANTS! I learned from the SimAnt game manual. Which, actually, is quite a lot. (Or entirely negligible, depending upon one's perspective.)

By: Aknaton

Aknaton — Sat, 27 Aug 2005 11:19:24 -0800

There is a totally excellent documentary, The Hellstrom Chronicle, that culminates with a driver ant attack. Watch as a happy iguana up in a bush is overrun by ants, smothered, killed, and then carried away by the ants. Incredible. Alas, it's very hard to find (and only on VHS).

By: dazed_one

dazed_one — Sat, 27 Aug 2005 11:36:16 -0800

Nice post. Thanks.

By: cenoxo

cenoxo — Sat, 27 Aug 2005 12:26:08 -0800

MARABUNTA! ....................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................... (Leiningen, the movie).

By: cenoxo

cenoxo — Sat, 27 Aug 2005 12:49:08 -0800

And dare we mention... TERROR! HORROR! EXCITEMENT! MYSTERY!