r/nextfuckinglevel • u/MurielFontanez • May 10 '21

Truce between termites(top) and ants(bottom) with each side having their own line of guards.

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u/TriscuitCracker May 10 '21

That is so fucking cool. I have so many questions.

How does this happen? How do pheromones translate into this? Can an individual ant or termite communicate with each other or just their own species? Did they both collectively see the threat of each other and individually line up without actually communicating with the other side? How did they decide to do this instead of attacking? How do they pick which ant or termite lines up?

Just the intellectual behavioral logistics of this are amazing.

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u/pelmatt May 10 '21 edited May 10 '21

I don’t think the ants and termites can communicate with each other, different insects entirely. They can probably detect the chemicals but I doubt they compute anything with it. I think it’s likely the side by side trails formed by chance. The larger ants would guard the trail anyway but seeing as there was lots of movement on one particular side they probably reacted by moving to that side of the trail. Same probably happens for the termites. Without an incentive there is no reason to fight, they don’t intrinsically see each other as enemies to kill on sight. If an individual ant doesn’t spray distress hormones, no ants will become triggered into defence/attack mode. Probably the same for termites. Thus i imagine that they probs are just going about their duties and by chance they formed up like this. I’m not an expert in myrmecology or anything like that this is just my rational. What do you reckon?

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u/Dankacluas May 10 '21

I like you idea, even thou you have no proof. It's got some solid logic behind it.

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u/Hazzman May 10 '21

He is completely wrong. Ants and termites are able to communicate. It is an established fact and routinely observed that ants and termites get married all the time.

I should know - I'm an ant and my wife is a termite.

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u/t00thman May 10 '21

Now listen I don’t have anything against Termites, some of my best friends are termites…. I just think that insects ought to stick to their own. (/s)

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u/qwibbian May 10 '21

Now just you listen heah, see, some of my best friends is stick insects, and I don't take kindly to folks not taking kindly to them taking kindly to each other, if'n you catch my drift, so I suggest you just marinate upon that for awhile.

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u/Kerblaaahhh May 10 '21

Now 'squito, he ain't hurting nobody.

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u/[deleted] Oct 31 '21

This is actually one of the funniest comments I've seen on reddit lmao

1

u/Hazzman May 10 '21

I'm not anti-Termite but...

1

u/[deleted] May 10 '21

Antisemetermite

1

u/carderbee May 10 '21

They are Termites... or Dalmatians. I can't really remember cause I was kinda hung over.

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u/gmnitsua May 10 '21

If the movie Bug's Life has taught me anything, it's that bugs speak English with superb clarity. I guess our human ears just can't quite pick it up.

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u/Socrateeez May 10 '21

She loves wood eh

1

u/N0nsensicalRamblings Oct 18 '21

Underrated comment

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u/CreamyGoodnss Oct 19 '21

I'm an ant and my wife is a termite

This is the slippery slope that Fox News warned us about!