2026-06-19 23:00 UTC
This is Psalidomyrmex. It is an African ant that hunts earthworms. Which, fair enough, is a habit that probably merits weird mandibles.
But I just learned they don't need to have slicing mandibles, just grabby ones, because earthworms drop their tails when attacked, so the ants just haul them off like they were harvesting fruit. #Ants #Insects #Biology #Psalidomyrmex
Replies (2)
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@Jonstewartmill@mastodon.social 2026-06-19 23:05
@alexwild@mastodon.online How much of an earthworm is considered the tail? I've always thought of them as being a unit without discrete parts. (Obviously I realize they have organs.)
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@futurebird@sauropods.win 2026-06-19 23:14
@alexwild@mastodon.online This ant looks like a Benin Bronze