They called it a "pirate" ant and it was just discovered in the Philippines. The name derives from the dark line that surrounds the entire area of his eyes, which would resemble the strap of the bandages like those used by pirates. In reality though, what amazes you is her sparkling body, which appears to be covered in diamonds.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
They called it a "pirate" ant and has just been discovered in the Philippines. The name derives from the dark line that surrounds the entire area of his eyes, which would resemble the strap of the bandages like those used by pirates. In reality though, what amazes you is her sparkling body, which seems to be covered with diamonds.
The Cardiocondyla pirate has, in fact, one bizarre pigmentation which has no equivalent anywhere in the world, as the scientists who found it explain in their published study in Zookeys magazine. "During a harvest trip to the Philippines we looked for several species of the genus Cardiocondyla, which is known for its surprising morphological and behavioral variety of male ants," said Sabine Frohschammer, della University of Regensburg.
Alongside all hitherto unknown species, in the crevices of some large stones of a stream, the team discovered a new ant never seen before, hidden from humanity by the shadow of the rainforest. The translucent body parts of the tiny ants they were almost invisible. “Under the bright light and a magnifying glass we detected the beautiful stripe through the eyes and therefore always refer to these species as a 'pirate',” continues the researcher.
What remains a mystery to scientists is the adaptive significance of the pigmentation model. The fact that these ants live in the dark excludes one of the most obvious hypotheses, according to which the dark spot serves as a sign of sexual differentiation and, therefore, a cue for recognition during mating.
One possible reason for the function of this bizarre coloring is that it functions as a tool for distract and confuse the enemy. The combination of the dark stripes with a rather translucent body could give the impression of dealing with a large predator. However, “the question remains: which predator with a high-performing visual system could eat these little ants,” comment the authors. Or maybe they just are so simply just to be fabulous.
Roberta Ragni
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