On the evening of Aug. 27, many Comox Valley residents watched tens of thousands of winged ants crawling and clumsily flying everywhere.
Those that did should consider themselves lucky, because they91裸聊视频檝e had the privilege to witness one of nature91裸聊视频檚 most impressive displays of love: the ephemeral annual nuptial flight of ants.
While this event may be mildly annoying for some, and a source of disgust for others, this event is perfectly normal, harmless, and plays a crucial role in our ecosystem. Entomologist and post-doctoral researcher Aaron Fairweather assures that this three-hour-long ritual is all about love.
91裸聊视频淓very year, each species of ant has its own specific time when (winged female and male ants) will fly from their respective colony, in a specific area, all at once, to mate and establish new colonies,91裸聊视频� says Fairweather.
This phenomenon is not confined solely to Vancouver Island; it91裸聊视频檚 a global event experienced by most of Earth91裸聊视频檚 14,000 ant species once a year.
Though Fairweather admits that knowledge surrounding these critters in B.C. is 91裸聊视频渇airly poor,91裸聊视频� he estimates that upwards of 150 different kinds of ants are attending this large-scale honeymoon, ranging from spring to late fall.
Among those are the cornfield, sugar, odour, pavement, black garden, and carpenter ants, to name a few.
To this day, science has yet to explain how millions of these small insects emerge in perfect synchronization from their residence.
However, many entomologists agree on common hypotheses as to why this happens.
91裸聊视频淲e think it has a lot to do with the temperature, how warm it is, the weather, and especially UV exposure,91裸聊视频� says Fairweather. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e noticed, as a researcher, that it usually (happens) at dusk, right before or after a thunderstorm.91裸聊视频�
Coincidentally, this year91裸聊视频檚 nuptial flight occurred on the eve of one of the very few thunderstorms the region had amidst this exceptionally dry summer.
Preparing for the ball
A week or two before these insects take their area by storm, queens from every colony start to produce alates - winged male (drones) and female (princesses) ants - whose sole purpose is to reproduce.
When the time comes, millions of alates simultaneously crawl out of their respective mounds and start to mingle with their neighbours.
After a few hours, once the females are fertilized, they chew off their wings and the search for a new home to establish their underground colony begins.
Males, however, face a grimmer reality.
91裸聊视频淭he function of the male is really just to give their gametes and then they die,91裸聊视频� says Fairweather. 91裸聊视频淭hey mate and as soon as they91裸聊视频檝e shot their shot, they die instantly.91裸聊视频�
Despite their short-lived existence, Fairweather emphasizes how critical the role of males is in this yearly event.
91裸聊视频淨ueens have this amazing biological ability to store sperm for their whole life, and some species live up to 80 years,91裸聊视频� explains Fairweather. 91裸聊视频淥nce a queen is fertilized, she then constantly produces millions of workers for the rest of her life, and it91裸聊视频檚 all from this one fertilization event.91裸聊视频�
Why swarming?
This unique behaviour, exhibited by many animals and insects, often plays an important role. In the case of ants, swarming serves as an efficient survival tactic and contributes to the maintenance of robust genetic health.
91裸聊视频淭here is safety in numbers and swarming increases their chance of mating,91裸聊视频� says Fairweather. 91裸聊视频淚f you have millions and millions of these queens, then you91裸聊视频檙e more likely to have some of them establish themselves. In the end, you might only have one to five per cent of those queens survive to the next year.
91裸聊视频�(Swarming also allows ants) to mate with a colony that is genetically distinct from them and prevent inbreeding. For that to happen, you need a lot of numbers.91裸聊视频�
Beyond just playing a role in the reproduction of ants, this nuptial flight represents a crucial source of food for a variety of different animals including birds and small mammals.
Ants mean friends
As mentioned before, Fairweather repeats that this short-lived event is harmless for humans.
Supporting this claim is Steve Jackson, co-owner of Pacific Coastal Pest Control.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a standard thing that happens every year,91裸聊视频� mentions Jackson. 91裸聊视频淔rom a pest control point of view, I think it91裸聊视频檚 just an average season so far.91裸聊视频�
A nuptial flight does not result in higher rates of residential ant infestations. According to the entomologist, most ant species see no reason to establish a colony within a house, as it separates them from their primary food source, which is typically found in the wild.
As for the infamous carpenter ant, this species means no harm contrary to popular belief.
91裸聊视频淐arpenter ants often get a bad rap for eating the wood in people91裸聊视频檚 homes,91裸聊视频� said Fairweather. 91裸聊视频淏ut these ants can91裸聊视频檛 eat wood. They don91裸聊视频檛 have the same bacteria in their gut as termites do. They feed on wood rot. If you happen to have a rotting beam in your house, you might have carpenter ants. But it91裸聊视频檚 not the ants that are destroying your house, it91裸聊视频檚 the rot.91裸聊视频�
According to Fairweather, ants play an essential role in the environment by controlling numerous parasite populations and aerating soils worldwide.
91裸聊视频淎nts are a very beneficial predator,91裸聊视频� they said. 91裸聊视频淭hey are feeding on a whole bunch of different pest beetle species and caterpillars. Ants also move more soil in general than even earthworms do. So they cycle on a lot of nutrients and aerate the ground.91裸聊视频�
All in all, the entomologist mentions that there is nothing to be scared of. Most of the time, this event unfolds when most are indoors and unaware.
However, if you had a chance to gaze at this yearly event, you have witnessed true love in the air91裸聊视频� literally.
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