Ant Bridge in Use (VIDEO)
Caption
E. hamatum form living bridges without any oversight from a "lead" ant and with a clear cost-benefit ratio. The ants will create a path up to the point when too many workers are being diverted from collecting food and prey. Bridges will be the length of 10 to 20 ants -- only a few centimeters, but swarms form several bridges a day, which save collective energy and maximize foraging time.
Credit
Courtesy of Matthew Lutz, Princeton University, and Chris Reid, University of Sydney
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