The Fierce Ongoing War That Swarms of Unrelenting Nomadic Army Ants Have Waged For Millions of Years

In a pismiric episode of their colorfully animated series, Munich design group Kurzgesagt explains the fiercely ongoing battlefront of nomadic army ants. While an individual army ant appears harmless, the sheer number of these nomadic social hunters can quickly overwhelm even the fiercest of enemies. These enemies include insects, spiders, and small vertebrates.

Though a colony of army ants will not attack another colony of army ants, they have no issue attack ants of any other varietals. Leafcutter ants are quite able to hold off a swarm of army ants for a while, but will eventually succumb to the unrelenting power of the masses.

Despite the powerful defense and the determined response, the army ants are still superior in numbers. So, without knowing if the battle can be won, the leafcutters prepare for the worst. Workers rush to create barricades and seal off as many entrances to their nest as possible to secure their brood. If the leafcutters are not able to repel the invaders, or at least barricade enough of their entrances in time, the army ants swarm the nest, overrunning all opposition.