Soldiers of the Understory

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A few years ago I was wandering down a path on a volcano in north-central Costa Rica when I noticed them… Hundreds of thousands of them…. Army Ants. 
I spent the spring of 2018 experiencing the wonders of Costa Rica doing research in the Talamanca mountains located in the south-central part of the country. It was a wonderful time full of learning and amazing new experiences. In the latter part of my time there, all of the students at my research station participated in a trip around the country. This trip was called the biome tour. On our trip around the country, we started in the highest area of the country and worked our way down in elevation.
Our first stop was the Volcan Arenal. This is the biggest volcano in Costa Rica. It actually has erupted multiple times in recent history, the largest eruption happening in 1968. Arenal has lush forest surrounding its base on the walk up that is thriving with life. We were on the lookout for some very rare birds when we came upon the swarm...
I was walking at the back of the group when one of my leaders came up to me emphatically beckoning me back down the trail to an area we had passed. “An army ant swarm” he exclaimed. I rushed back down the path away from the class to take a peek at something very few people get to witness in their lives. The forest floor was crawling with thousands of ants. Strong black ants that seemed to make the ground come alive. These ants were what are known as army ants most likely Eciton burchellii.
The busy body ants continued to cover the ground foraging for food devouring anything that was laid in their path. I watched them enthralled for 30 minutes in the pouring rain until my classmates stomachs couldn’t take waiting anymore and I was forced to move on back down the trail toward cold soggy sandwiches missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime. 
One of the most unique features of this genera of ants are their huge mandibles. After all, at first glance, this is the first thing you notice about these insects. Though you might think these massive jaws are used for chewing, they are actually used for battle and easy dismemberment of prey for transportation. 
There is a caste system within army ant societies much like that of a honey bee which we have learned so much about.
The soldier ant- the name basically speaks for itself. These ants have an oversized head and mandibles used for defending and killing. 
Worker ant- noticeably smaller in size but no less aggressive, these ants do it all. They are responsible for transporting food, fighting, and caring for the queen. 
Queen- the only female in the colony able to reproduce. These ants have been known to live up to 20 years! Another interesting fact is that at some point, she will be the ‘mother’ to 300,000-20 million ants!
The swarms that these ants make (ranging into the millions sometimes), can appear to be randomly brought about by these hunters, but are actually carefully organized by hatching cycles and age. These swarms can range up to about a hundred yards wide and are responsible for mass destruction. 
Obviously when you think of army ant defense mechanisms, you first think of direct combat. This is in fact one way they fight off enemies and predators from their colony. These ants are much smarter than what we give them credit for though. They have been observed adjusting colony architecture, direct blockage of colony using rocks and other debris, and even complete evacuation to evade harm and survive. The picture to the right gives us a glimpse of what these mighty warriors are capable of.


-Written by Glen Adams and Landon Stout

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