Fire ants work together to form floating rafts when their nests are flooded
Jennifer White Maxwell/Shutterstock
Fire ants can intertwine their bodies to form raft-like structures. And we now know that these rafts have unusual properties that are difficult to reproduce with conventional materials. Studying them could provide inspiration for the design of new materials in the future.
When the nest is flooded, red fire ants are imported (Solenopsis invicta) can survive by joining their bodies together to form a floating raft. Past research suggests that physics plays an important role in the creation…
Source: www.newscientist.com
