An ant carrying an injured ant homeERIK FRANK
The Matabele ant (Megaponera analis) hunts by attacking termite-foraging sites in groups of around 200 to 500. These raids are often brutal: the termites will fight back, tearing limbs and handicapping attackers by clinging tightly to their bodies. According to a study published this month (April 12) in Science Advances, when ants are injured in battle, nest mates will carry them back home.
By observing the ants’ behaviors during raids, researchers at the University of Würzburg in Germany found that, left on their own, wounded ants had a 32 percent chance of dying on the way back to their nest. On the other hand, when another ant came to the rescue, the risk of morality for injured ants fell to nearly 0 percent. But rather ...
