Hornbeam: Habitat And Characteristics

The glass-head saúvas live in colonies and are divided into castes. Each of them has a special role in the development of the anthill, also known as “superorganism”, due to the degree of cooperation between its members.

When hornbeams unite, they cease to be an individual entity and become a colony, known as a ‘superorganism’. This aggregation consists of a big family synchronized in their little minds, with the goal of working towards a common goal. When these aggregations manifest, all other animals get out of the way.

Sandpiper colonies are a powerful force that forages and moves like a single animal. They are so connected that they behave like an autonomous being, a superorganism that specializes to perform specific tasks. Working together has turned the big ants into nature’s winners.

Physical characteristics of saúvas-head-de-glass

At hornbeams have the physical appearance of any hymenopteran terrestrial, except for her big butt, which has a darker tone than others ants normal. The biggest glass-headed saúva is the queen , which can measure 2.5 centimeters in length, while the workers are smaller, measuring 1.5 to 2 centimeters.

In addition to the queen, the rest of the colony are excellent diggers. That’s how they manage to build a big anthill , with a depth 5 meters in the ground, extending up to 100 square meters in diameter. The entrance to this mini-city can be about 9 centimeters wide. Ultimately, these nests last about 50 years.

What do glassheads eat?

Hornbeams feed on fungi that they cultivate themselves , which in turn come from a tissue of the leaves that these ants chew. Regarding this food, the following general aspects can be mentioned:

• Sandwiches cultivate these mushrooms in underground gardens, which can reach 36 centimeters in width and 1 meter in depth.
• The cultivated fungus is the only food for the queen and her larvae.
• These fungi have a spongy appearance. . They contain cells called ‘ gongilids ‘.
• the fungus remains in its pure state , without the need for ant care.
• The workers of the glass-head sauvas feed on the sap of the leaves when cut into small pieces.

Habitat and behavior

The colonies that the  hornbeams they build are underground mini-cities. It is in them that all the action and care of young specimens takes place. The workers generally surface at night – and rarely during the day. They climb to the top of the trees and, with their jaws, cut the leaves in a curved shape.

The cut sheets are proportional to their bodies. In this way, they put them on their backs to carry them to the Cologne . In addition to the activity in the anthill itself, this work contributes to the 20% decomposition of tree leaves. Furthermore , the queen takes with her a segment of the fungi made with these leaves for her nuptial flight.

Sauva-head-of-glass varieties

At Glass-headed saúvas are divided into 2 castes: the first are the winged and fertile ants, which are the queens and the males. The second are workers or breeders, responsible for shape the subterranean nest and transporting the cut sheets.

When the diploid queen (with a complete set of genes) mates with a haploid male (half the genes) it does not famous bridal flight , it can originate a new colony with their own worker glass-headed sauds. It is important to note that the bridal flight starts in the rainy season, usually when it stops raining.

Tactic of the Glasshead Sauvas

Sandwiches showed their loyalty to teamwork and synchronized communication. That’s why these little hymenoptera are famous for developing a role switching strategy.

This behavior is a very special way of working, which begins with the young ants’ task of cultivating fungi. When they mature and gain experience, they surface and start cutting the leaves.

Enemies of the Glasshead Sauvas

These strong builder ants have enemies that must be avoided, and in this particular case, the danger comes down to two scenarios. First, when the queen leaves on her bridal flight, it becomes the favorite food of bats and birds.

In addition, this species’ anthills need to face natural hazards, such as floods and human action , especially when these insects are captured for the preparation of gastronomic dishes. However, these small and intelligent warriors manage to build new colonies, thus expanding the reign of the glass-headed saúvas.

As you have seen, ants represent the highest degree of cooperation, encompassed in biological aggregations of the eusocial type. Each ant is not an individual entity, but a part of a biological superorganism that moves together with a single purpose: to survive over time and expand the species.