this post was submitted on 01 Jul 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] SculptusPoe@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago (12 children)

Are ants so visual? I guess so, or there wouldn't be enough advantage for these guys to develop. I thought they went purely by sensing pheromones.

[–] SGforce@lemmy.ca 25 points 2 days ago (11 children)

Maybe it isn't just fooling ants?

Don't know the advantage to fooling everything else but they are convincing. Worked in a warehouse that had a bunch of the red ones one summer. Everybody thought there was an ant problem but they seemed off to me. Firstly, they were never in groups, you'd only find lone ones wandering. Secondly, they walked like ants but held their "antennae" strangely. Lastly, when knocking one off a box I discovered they have a tether thread.

[–] Gullible@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 days ago (10 children)

Ants are rarely visual, but I’m also struggling to figure out which predator this is meant to dissuade.

[–] blackbrook@mander.xyz 3 points 2 days ago

I would guess it's to fool their prey.

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