Formic Acid

Homology Weekly: Acidopore

Thursday, December 4th, 2008 | Ants, Homology Weekly, Morphology | 5 Comments
Acidopore of a <em>Formica fusca</em> worker (Scaning Electron Micrograph, Roberto Keller/AMNH)

Acidopore of a Formica fusca worker (Scanning Electron Micrograph, Roberto Keller/AMNH)

It is popular knowledge that ants secrete formic acid. What most people don’t know is that only a well-defined subgroup of species have this capacity. Female ants in the subfamily Formicinae have an acid producing gland that sprays its content through a special opening at the rear end of their abdomens, aptly called the acidopore. › Continue reading

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And as we discussed last semester, the Army Ants will leave nothing but your bones.
- Tom Waits

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