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I've said it before... Cataglyphis bombycina sounds like an ant made up by a 6-year old.

"they are the fastest ants in the whole world and and "

"they live in the desert and and and"

"they only go out when it's the hottest time of the day and and"

"they use the sun to tell where their home is like sailors and and "

"they are SILVER and shiny and and"

"they have majors with the BIGGEST mandibles of all!"

These #ants are IRL mary sues.

Cataglyphis bombycina, the Saharan silver ant has majors with very long mandibles. I'm looking for the reason for these long rather wide mandibles, suspect it may be for grabbing larger dead creatures and draging them back to the nest... Notably the majors do not forage at all in the species but they could be called to a bonanza of food and haul it back? The majors also act as repletes holding food in their bodies and by laying trophic eggs. The mandibles could also serve to intimidate vertebrates. (It'd work on me. )
Overhead photo of ants running taken by a high speed camera from a study on their gait and speed. They can run at two miles per hour... which for something this small is insane. They leave the nest at the height of noon meandering and searching for food. As soon as they find food they are able to run directly back to the nest, no back-tracking. They use polarized light and landmarks to determine the direction of home.
Beautiful sliver and on a pile of sand, a close up.
#ants
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