The text describes the life and behavior of the Oecoflu weaver ants, which are found in tropical jungles. These ants are often compared to the high elves of the ant kingdom due to their architectural skills and warrior-like nature. They are fierce expansionist warriors, and their kingdoms are constantly at war for survival.
Oecoflu weaver ants are characterized by their long legs, slender bodies, large eyes, and strong mandibles. They are known for their ability to shoot acid, which makes them effective at killing. Their colonies usually have two to three worker classes that vary in size and color, depending on the location and species.
One of the unique features of these ants is their kingdom-building business. They build their nests at various heights, starting from shrubs a few centimeters above the ground and up to 10 meters in the tree canopy. They are not satisfied with ruling just one plant, and they will look for twigs or lianas that bridge the gap to other trees and expand to every plant they can reach. This way, colonies spread upwards and sideways through the treetops.
The largest weaver ant kingdoms known occupy up to 1600 square meters, around 4 basketball courts. To control such a large territory, weaver ants construct dozens of nests scattered all over their territory. These nests are outposts to defend the kingdom, made from tubes or balls made from leaves and ghostly silk sheets.
The ants construct these nests using a process that involves bending leaves into tubes, pulling the leaf's edges together, and adding them to the construction. They use ant larvae as a source of silk for building material. The larvae are carried from the closest nest to the construction site by other workers. The workers then sew the bent leaf onto itself, creating a central chamber that's used as the basis for up to 300 more leaves that are wound around it.
The ants have a special nest in the middle of the network reserved for the queen and her guards. The queen produces hundreds of eggs a day, which are transferred to suitable nests with brood chambers. The colony is a network of little castles and moats connected by suspension bridges made from leaves, lyannas, and twigs.
The ants have a close and beneficial relationship with their hosts, shrubs and trees. The tree provides the ants with a home and access to sweet sap to drink, and it allows them to cultivate cattle like aphids or caterpillars that produce honeydew for them.
The weaver ant kingdoms are in constant competition with other kingdoms, seeking to conquer and make their land their own. Controlling fertile land is key to surviving in the jungle. When a kingdom invades another, it first gathers an army of a few thousand majors who make their way towards the opposing colony. The goal is to steal a bit of territory and take it over.
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1. Oecofla weaver ants are found deep in tropical jungles.
2. They are considered the high elves of the ant kingdoms.
3. These ants are talented architects who create castles and city-states.
4. They are fierce and expansionist warriors, and their kingdoms are ensnared in a never-ending war for survival.
5. Oecofla weaver ants have long legs, slender bodies, and large eyes, making them look cute.
6. They have strong mandibles and the ability to shoot acid, which makes them good at killing.
7. Their colonies usually have two to three worker classes that vary dramatically in size.
8. They vary in color from dark brown to emerald green.
9. Weaver ants are in the kingdom building business, building at pretty much all heights.
10. They are not satisfied with ruling just one plant.
11. Weaver ants will look for twigs or lianas that bridge the gap to other trees and expand to every plant they can reach.
12. The largest weaver ant kingdoms known occupy up to 1,600 square meters around 4 basketball courts.
13. Weaver ants construct dozens of nests scattered all over their territory.
14. They use tubes or balls made from leaves and ghostly silk sheets to defend the kingdom.
15. The larger worker ants are responsible for the more dangerous jobs like fighting, foraging, and nest construction.
16. To start a new nest, a major tries to bend different leaves in her surroundings into a tube.
17. The workers carry larvae from the closest nest to the construction site.
18. The workers sew the bent leaf onto itself so it won't unfold anymore, creating a central chamber.
19. The ants don't need to cross vast distances to the headquarters but have soldiers close to any potential point of conflict.
20. Apart from one special nest in the middle of the network which is reserved for the queen and her guards.
21. The queen produces hundreds of eggs a day, which get transferred to suitable nests with brood chambers.
22. A colony is a network of little castles and moats connected by suspension bridges made from leaves, lyannas, and twigs.
23. An established colony easily has half a million individuals that need to be fed.
24. Weaver ants evolve to have very close and beneficial relationships with their hosts, shrubs, and trees.
25. The weaver ant kingdom could be an ant paradise if there wasn't competition.
26. Mostly from other kingdoms just like medieval humans, every queen seeks to conquer others and make their land their own.
27. Controlling fertile land is the key to survive in the jungle.
28. If a kingdom loses too much of it, it shrinks and is overrun or starves to death.
29. Expanding and defending their borders is critical to keep the colony alive.
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