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In most cases it will be sufficient to place her shielded body between her larvae and the source of threat. Another option to intimidate would-be gourmets is flapping her wings. The ultimate defense would be a chemical attack: she can excrete a noxious liquid, that quickly penetrates the sturdy armor of the attacker and paralyses it. The liquid contains a blend of poisonous chemicals called unsaturated aldehyds, together with a non-poisonous carbohyrate called tridecan, that helps the poison to pass through the insect's shell. Thus ants can be paralysed within a minute or two. If the liquid enters via the stigma, which are the breathing openings of an insect, it is immobilised within a second or two. |
