Carpenter ants amputate the legs of their nestmates to save their lives, study says
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Florida carpenter ants have been observed biting off the injured limbs of nestmates, depending on the location of the wounds, to help their counterparts survive, according to a new study.
About 90% to 95% of the ants receiving amputations make it through the process and continue with their duties within the nest just fine despite losing a leg, researchers found.
The study, published Tuesday in the journal Current Biology, builds on previous findings released in 2023 by the same international team of scientists.
That research found a different ant species called Matabele ants, or Megaponera analis, use their mouths to secrete antimicrobial compounds to cleanse injuries and prevent potential infections. The compounds are produced by what’s known as metapleural glands.
Most ants have these glands. But over time, some species — including Camponotus floridanus, also known as carpenter ants — have evolutionarily lost them.
