via +Rebecca Spizzirri
Chris Robinson originally shared this post:
Although many ant species use chemical trails to organise themselves into food-collecting groups, the big-headed ant has an "extreme" chemical enlisting strategy, says the University of Sussex team. "When an ant finds something delicious," he said, "she has to lay a trail really quickly, because competition is fierce. "The pheromone trail starts working immediately. Any ants caught in its net are funnelled towards the food item."
Make sure you check out the video. I could definitely use an "extreme" chemical enlisting strategy!
How ants enlist emergency help
Brazilian ants deploy emergency "chemical nets" to drag swarms of their nestmates into helping them carry large food items, a study shows.