The #WeaverAnt, genus 𝘖𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘭𝘭𝘢, is known for living in a nest made of leaves and silk, built in trees, but did you know that the silk is produced only by the #larvae? 🧐
Instead of using the silk to build their own cocoon, the larvae are used by the adult workers to build their nest. First, the adult worker pulls together the leaves, holding them with their legs. Then, holding a larva between their mandibles, the adult worker handles the larva as a living #needle, moving them back and forth as they expel threads of silk from their labial glands, sewing the leaves and keeping them together, building a nest to the colony. If #childlabor is an abhorrent practice among humans, it is acceptable in the ant's world.😌
This ant genus has three species, but only one occurs in Hong Kong, 𝘖𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢 (Fabricius, 1775), which is easy to recognize by its orange colouration and relatively large size (for an ant!). They live exclusively in trees, and in front of a disturbance, throw themselves down ready to attack and protect their colony. They will first bite with their sharp mandibles and then use the wound created to insert #FormicAcid that they release from the tip of their abdomen. OUCH! 😰
The HKBM hosts several specimens and nests, sampled in Hong Kong and Southern China during the last three decades.
We are waiting for you to visit the museum and learn more about the fauna found in Hong Kong.🤓
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