Moment aggressive insects fire foul-smelling acid at predators is caught on camera
- The tiny ants' incredible behaviour was captured on camera in Wareham Forest, Dorset, by wildlife photographer Paul Quagliana
- They squirt formic acid from their abdomens, which smells like vinegar, to ward off hungry birds such as woodpeckers and jays
- Woodland ants are the largest native ant species of the UK and are known to be aggressively territorial
About Formica rufa - also known as woodland ants and horse ants
They are native to Europe, Britain and North America in woodland and parkland.
They are native to Europe, Britain and North America in woodland and parkland.
Worker ants are red and brownish black and measure between 4.5mm and 9mm in length.
They can spray formic acid from their abdomens in defence, like many other species of ants.
Nests are often built against rotting wood in the sun and colonies can have between 100,000 and 400,000 workers plus 100 queens. At their largest they can measure several metres in height and diameter.
The creatures are aggressively territorial and attack and remove rival ant species in their patch.
Nuptial flights - an important phase in the reproduction of most ant, termite and some bee species - take place in the springtime and are often marked by fierce battles between neighbouring colonies.
Wood ants typically have multiple nests so they can move around in case of drastic changes in the environment.
Read more and see pictures
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2582600/Now-thats-ant-social-behaviour-Moment-aggressive-insects-fire-foul-smelling-acid-predators-caught-camera.html
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