Ringbum Millipede Munchers and their Industrious Cousins
Seriously? Yup, true story; an ant called the Ringbum Millipede Muncher - discovered while I was researching some of it’s probably equally appropriately named cousins. There’s an interesting array of the little critters with names like African Stink Ant, Tailor Ant, Harvester Ant, Fire Ant, Spotted Sugar Ant and one with the alarming name of Bal-byter Ant – which fortunately doesn’t occur here in the Lowveld (sorry for you chaps in the Western and Northern Cape though).
The first very interesting thing one discovers about ants is they belong to the scientific order Hymenoptera – along with sawflies, wasps and bees. And then there are all these wonderful names which upon further research appear to have been thought up based on a feature or characteristic specific to each individual species.
The Stink Ants give off a strong fetid smell when alarmed, the Tailor Ant binds leaves together using silk to make its nest, the Harvester Ant collects seeds and vegetation which it takes back to the nest, the Fire Ant is known for its painful sting while the Sugar Ants, well, I guess they really like sugar? The thought of looking further into the Bal-byters didn’t really appeal, besides, as mentioned, we don’t get them here.
Then you get those tiny little 2-3mm ‘can-hardly-see-them-if-they-aren’t-in-a-large-group’ (which they inevitably always are) imports; I believe they made it all the way here from Argentina – determined little buggers. And they’re telepathic! Just mention the word ‘food’ and within seconds they’re lifting the back door off its hinges and pouring into the kitchen through every other crack and hole in the masonry you never knew existed - which was the exact reason behind my journey of ant discovery in the first place.
In fact there are so many different and interesting species of ants, not to mention how they’re all fascinatingly designed to fit certain roles within the ecosystems where they are to be found, that I reckon I’ll be reading about them for months to come.
On the more practical side of learning some mornings find me on hands and knees in our driveway closely watching a string of Matebele Ants moving nest carrying all their larvae and stored termites (food) from one hole in the ground to another. If you listen closely you’ll hear them giving off an intermittent buzzing sound which I believe to be a communication of sorts. Fascinating!
So, back to our ‘Ringbum’ friends. Really intrigued by the name I did some further research and managed to find out the following about them from … http://antsofthecape.blogspot.co.za/p/plectroctena-man.html
“Scientific name - Plectroctena mandibularis
These are very large ants, workers vary in size from 16mm to 24mm, and the queens can reach a whopping 28mm. As their common name implies their favourite food is millipedes, but they also prey upon beetles and termites. They use their powerful jaws (hence ‘mandibularis’ I guess) to crush the exoskeleton of their prey and hunt singly or in pairs from small colonies of up to 50 individuals. They nest deep underground, at about 60cm, with a heap of soil at the nest entrance.
This is a widespread species found from the Cape to Angola, Congo and Ethiopia.
The jaws and stings suggest that they be handled with care!” … there’s that jaws thing again!
It certainly is an accurately descriptive name; however for such an impressive creature, within the realm of fearsome ants and the insect world, it strikes me as vaguely demeaning - like calling Chuck Norris, in the realm of all things fighting and the martial arts world, the ‘Bearded People Slapper’!
Imagine, firstly being designed to be fond of eating millipedes – not sure if you’ve ever experienced the foul odour they give off when threatened? – and then to add insult to injury you get labelled a ‘Ringbum’! Mind you, that’s probably enough to make one want to go out and eat a millipede!
