Devil's Garden the Work of Ants

Ants have always fascinated people and served as a focus of reflection about ourselves, from the days of King Solomon to the present.

"Socialism, great idea, wrong species."

One of my favorite quotes, if I'm not mistaken by renowned entymologist and environmentalist E.O. Wilson

To local's, 'Devil's Gardens' were places of mystery and superstition, rather like the Witches Circles in England. These patches of forest occupied uniquely by one species of tree were avoided or crossed reluctantly and with caution. According to legend, these strange gardens were the work of Chuyachaqui, an evil dwarf spirit with one human foot and one hoof. Chuyachaqui had the power to appear in many guises, appearing as friends or family to lone walkers, leading them in circles until they were lost.

Recent research by Megan Elizabeth Frederickson, a graduate student at Stanford, suggests that they are the work of those ingenious creatures, ants. Various ant species are known to engage in behavior that many people consider to be human by definition: agriculture, even slavery. But this is the first time that they have been found to use an herbicide.

Lemon ants((Myrmelachista schumanni)) live in the Lemon Ant Tree and use formic acid to kill off other tree saplings in the area. Formic acid is usually used in ant communication, allowing them to follow each other's trails for example.

Once an ant colony settles in a Lemon tree, they begin clearing the area around it, gradually expanding into new lemon trees as they sprout up. Over time, they create huge super-colonies, like a giant ant megalopolis. The oldest of these is about 800 years old according to Frederickson.

Ants have always fascinated people and served as a focus of reflection about ourselves, from the days of King Solomon to the present.

"Socialism, great idea, wrong species."

One of my favorite quotes, if I'm not mistaken by renowned entymologist and environmentalist E.O. Wilson

More info:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/09/0921_050921_amazon_ant.html

The research will also be highlighted in an upcoming Sir David Attenborough BBC production, Life in the Undergrowth:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4269544.stm

For information about ants in general, complete with a google earth interface for finding ant species and habitats, look at this cool site:

www.antweb.org