Self-Sacrificing Ants Refuse Treatment of Their Wounds | National Geographic

[Perogi Palooka]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVTj_gyZdY0

[Saxon]

This makes me feel like an asshole when I killed ants in my house

[Perogi Palooka]

I dunno, these ants are total bros- taking the fight to the termites and not leaving a man behind.
Your ants probably sneak into your house and steal bits of your floor chips.
Different levels, I think.

[hustlebones]

So what would an ant even do for first aid, snap carapace back in place? Disinfect with saliva? How does that work?

[lightningstreak]

Disinfecting seems to be the case according to an article about the same study.

In a new study Frank, now at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, and his colleagues have filmed what happens inside the nest when the injured are brought in. The footage shows “nurse” ants spend several minutes licking their fallen comrades’ wounds.

An experiment in which some ants were denied this licking suggests it is a lifesaver. Without it, 80% of ants who had lost limbs died within a few hours. Of those that received medical care, 90% survived.
“We don’t know yet if the ants are just cleaning the wound and removing debris, as we do with our wounds to prevent infection, or if they are also applying antimicrobial substances with their saliva,” says Frank.
Either way, the treatment works. “The ants are able to reach running speeds similar to healthy ants, despite missing a leg or two,” says Frank.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2161051-ants-care-for-wounded-comrades-by-licking-their-wounds-clean/

[DrBones]

Reminds me of this article I read a while back, where deceased ants are naturally sprayed with a specific pheromone that convinced other ants to drag them off to a communal "grave". Scientists sprayed a few live ants with the pheromone, and they would diligently walk or let themselves be carried to the grave, fully convinced that they were dead.