The big, bloated bellies of honey ants like these serve as “living larders” for their entire colony. Too big to move, specialized honey ants called repletes hang from the roofs of nests dug deep in the cool earth. In the dry season, these ants are “drained” to provide nourishment for the rest of the colony.
Honey ants are common in deserts and other arid climates around the world. This species, Myrmecocystus mexicanus, is indigenous to the southern United States and Mexico. Other species of honey ants can be found in southern Africa and throughout Australia.
Only some honey ants become “living larders.” They are part of the “worker” caste of honey ants. Other castes include soldiers, who protect the colony from predators; princesses and drones, who mate to form new colonies; and the queen—usually the mother of all other ants in the colony.
During the rainy season, when food is abundant, other worker ants feed repletes. Honey ants’ main source of food is sweet nectar gathered from desert flowers. Sometimes, workers will feed repletes liquids from insects killed by the colony (body fat from wasps or other ants, for example). Repletes are fed these liquids mouth-to-mouth, drop by drop.
During a drought or dry season, nutrients become more scarce. Fewer flowers bloom, and fewer insects approach the colony. Honey ants turn to their living larders, now swollen to the size of grapes.
When the colony needs the nutrient-rich liquids, a worker ant will stroke a replete’s antennae. This signals the replete to regurgitate the liquid. A worker can eat the liquid itself, or carry it to another member of the colony.
The big, bloated bellies of honey ants like these serve as “living larders” for their entire colony. Too big to move, specialized honey ants called repletes hang from the roofs of nests dug deep in the cool earth. In the dry season, these ants are “drained” to provide nourishment for the rest of the colony.
Honey ants are common in deserts and other arid climates around the world. This species, Myrmecocystus mexicanus, is indigenous to the southern United States and Mexico. Other species of honey ants can be found in southern Africa and throughout Australia.
Only some honey ants become “living larders.” They are part of the “worker” caste of honey ants. Other castes include soldiers, who protect the colony from predators; princesses and drones, who mate to form new colonies; and the queen—usually the mother of all other ants in the colony.
During the rainy season, when food is abundant, other worker ants feed repletes. Honey ants’ main source of food is sweet nectar gathered from desert flowers. Sometimes, workers will feed repletes liquids from insects killed by the colony (body fat from wasps or other ants, for example). Repletes are fed these liquids mouth-to-mouth, drop by drop.
During a drought or dry season, nutrients become more scarce. Fewer flowers bloom, and fewer insects approach the colony. Honey ants turn to their living larders, now swollen to the size of grapes.
When the colony needs the nutrient-rich liquids, a worker ant will stroke a replete’s antennae. This signals the replete to regurgitate the liquid. A worker can eat the liquid itself, or carry it to another member of the colony.
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