The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-01-18
Military Ants of the Amazon

Military Ants of the Amazon.
The Nineteenth Century has the fol-
lowing: The most astonishing insects,
If not the most astonishing animals, in
the world, are the so-called foraging, or,
as they might more appropriately be
called, the military ants of the Amazon.
They belong to several species of the
same genus, and have been carefully
watched by Bates, Belt, and other natu-
ralists. The following facts must, there
fore, be regarded as fully established.
Ecaton tegiO7aaS moves in enormous
armies, and everything that these insects
do is done with the most perfect instinct
OF military organization. The army
marches in the form of a rather broad
and regular column, hundreds of yards
in length. The object of the march is to
capture and plumber other insects, etc.,
for food, and as the well organized host
advances, its devastating legions set all
other terrestrial life at defiance. From
the main column there are sent out small
er lateral columns, the composing indi-
viduals of which play the part of scouts
branching off in various directions, and
searching about with the utmost activity
for insects, grubs, ETC., over every log and
under every fallen leaf. If prey is found
in sufficiently small quantities for them
to manage alone, it is Immediately seized
and carried to the main column; but if
the amount Is too large for the scouts
themselves to deal with, messengers are
sent to the main column, whence there is
Immediately dispatched a detachment
large enough to cope with the require
ments. Insects or other prey, which,
when killed, are too large for single ants
to carry, are torn In pieces, and the
pieces conveyed back to the main army
by different individuals. Many insects
In trying to escape run up bushes and
shrubs, where they are pursued from
twig to twig by their remorseless enemies,
till on arriving at some terminal ramif-
cation they must either submit to imme-
date capture by their pursuers, or drop
down amid the murderous hosts below.
AS already stated, all the spoils which
are taken by the scouts, or by the de-
tachment sent out in answer to their de-
mands for assistance, are Immediately
taken back to the main army or column
by two smaller columns of carriers, which
are constantly running in two double
rows Zone of each being laden and the
other not), on either side of the main COL
umn there are constantly running up and
down few individuals of smaller size,
lighter color, having larger heads than the
other ants. These appear to perform the
duty of officers, for they never leave
their stations, and while actively run
ming up and down the outsides of the col
umD, they seem intent only on maintain
ing order in the march, stopping every
now and then to touch some member Of
the rank and file with their antenne, as
if giving directions.
When the scouts discover a wasps
nest in q tree, strong force is sent out
from the main army, the nest is pulled to
pieces, and all the laIva in the nest are
carried by the carrier columns to the rear
of the army, while the wasps fly around
defenceless against the invading multi
tudes. Or if the nest of any other spe-
cies of ant is found, a similarly strong
force is sent out, or even the whole army
may be DETECTED toward it, when with
the utmost energy the innumerable in
sects set to work to sink shafts and dig
mines till the whole nest is riAed of its
contents. In these mining operations
the Eciton8 work with an extraordinary
display Of organized cooperation for
those low down in the shafts do not lose
time by carrying up the earth which they
excavate, but pass on the pellets to those
above, and the ants on the surface, when
they receive the pellets, carry them only
just far enough to insure that they shall
not roll back again into the shaft, and,
after having deposited them at safe
distance, Immediately hurry back for
more.
" The EcitonS have no fixed nest them
selves, but live, as it were, on a perpet-