Offloading Ant Rafts

Fire ant raft
Photo: PNAS

How do fire ants in a raft transition from floating on water to walking on dry land? Fire ants don’t wait until the water sinks to the level of the land. Leaves, branches and tree roots often dangle into the water forming a bridge from the water to dry land. Upon a raft colliding with a bridge, the workers on the bottom that are facing the bridge will grasp the bridge and anchor the raft. Workers riding atop the raft are the first to leave the raft and explore…

Source: Living With Insects Blog