Ants form living bridges to cross difficult obstacles because it allows them to distribute weight effectively, increasing the stability of the structure and facilitating the passage of the entire colony.
Ants primarily communicate through pheromones, chemical substances they release into the environment. They leave these scented signals along their path, similar to chemical breadcrumbs. These trails inform their companions about the routes to food, warn of danger, or help coordinate complex collective actions, such as forming living bridges to cross ditches or obstacles. Each ant follows the chemical trails of others and adds its own contribution, gradually strengthening the path. The more a trail is used, the stronger and more evident it becomes, effectively guiding the entire group toward a common goal without the need for a leader or specific instructions.
Ants form living bridges very quickly, without needing a leader or instructions. As soon as they encounter an obstacle, some ants latch onto others using their mandibles and legs, remaining still. Very quickly, their peers climb on top, strengthening the bridge. The more complicated the obstacle, the longer the bridge naturally becomes. Simply by sensing the stretch of their bodies, ants instinctively understand whether they should remain united or if they can move forward. This automatic action relies on very simple reflexes, but allows the entire colony to save a tremendous amount of time. It’s like a mini collective construction, without plans or discussions, just based on the immediate feelings of the ants towards each other.
Forming living bridges allows ant colonies to quickly cross dangerous spaces or obstacles, thus saving time and conserving energy for the entire colony. This promotes collective success, as food resources are reached faster and brought back to the nest efficiently. This behavior also limits individual risk: by forming a bridge, each ant distributes the effort evenly and protects other members of the group. Over time, colonies adopting this cooperative strategy have better survived environmental challenges, improving their reproductive success and resilience to unforeseen events.
Studies on army ants (Eciton burchellii), for example, have shown that they are capable of forming living bridges in just a few seconds to cross gaps or crevices, thus drastically simplifying their route and saving energy. In the field, researchers often observe that the first individuals slow down as they approach an obstacle, grasp each other by their legs and mandibles, and gradually form a robust chain where each ant becomes a kind of structural element of the bridge. Other species, such as weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina), use a similar behavior but for different functions, such as assembling leaves together and creating suspended nests. Observations also show that these formations are very flexible: as soon as no more ants are passing, the individuals participating in the bridge detach and quickly rejoin the procession.
In bees, for example, worker bees exhibit a collective behavior known as social thermoregulation: they cluster and shiver together to generate heat in order to protect their larvae when it is cold. Termites build complex structures by spontaneously collaborating, forming airways and galleries to naturally regulate the temperature and humidity of the nest. In some species of wasps, individuals cooperate to confront predators much larger than themselves, forming compact groups to fend them off. Ants, on the other hand, are distinguished by their exceptional ability to form true dynamic living structures such as bridges or floating rafts, using only their own bodies to overcome obstacles. While mutual aid certainly exists among other social insects, few species demonstrate as much flexibility and collective ingenuity as ants in their methods for overcoming or navigating terrain challenges.
In some species, an ant that participates in a living bridge communicates with its neighbors through regular antennal contacts, signaling the need for reinforcements or warning that the bridge is already strong enough.
A colony of ants can quickly adapt its living structure according to its needs: an ant bridge can lengthen, shorten, or even change direction in just a few minutes, demonstrating remarkable collective responsiveness.
Some species of ants can carry up to 100 times their own weight when they form these living bridges, allowing other members of the colony to safely cross challenging spaces.
The living structures created by ants inspire robotics engineers to design collective robots capable of spontaneously organizing themselves, especially in emergency situations or in areas inaccessible to humans.
No. Generally, the ants involved in forming a living bridge do not die because the process is temporary. Once the rest of the colony has crossed the obstacle, the ants forming the bridge rejoin the group without any significant injuries.
The creation of living bridges allows ants to access vital resources (such as food) that would otherwise be unreachable. This behavior enhances the overall success of the colony, promotes the survival of individuals, and represents a significant competitive advantage over other species that do not possess this capability.
Yes, other social insects like certain species of termites or bees can adopt comparable collective assistance strategies. For example, some bees cluster together to form living clumps to regulate temperature or protect their colony.
Ants begin to build a bridge when they detect an obstacle. They primarily communicate using chemical signals called pheromones, but they also rely on physical and tactile interactions to determine how to position their bodies to form an effective bridge.
Immobility helps to strengthen the structure of the bridge and ensure its stability. The stationary ants are like the cornerstone of the bridge; they guarantee the safety of the entire colony while crossing the obstacle, thereby optimizing the collective efficiency of the group.
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