Ants and termites have known their place as bitter rivals in the animal kingdom for more than 150 million years. Even today, as populations peak at some of the highest numbers in history, colonies of the two vastly different insects often find themselves at war with one another.
In this video, we get to witness a brave ant-led invasion into a termite colony. Ants often travel in large numbers, with driver ants leading the way and guards keeping watch in case of any trouble. Worker ants do much of the exploring behind driver ants, and when they happen upon one of their rival insects, a merciless battle breaks loose.
After the ants are spotted by a termite worker, the termites begin signaling to one another that danger is afoot. They attempt to scare the ants away with a display of dominance and threatening gestures, but it doesn’t work. The driver ants press on, leading their forces into the termite colony and penetrating the termites’ first line of defense.
It’s unknown territory for the ants, but this is a fight that could rage on for hours, and with both colonies sporting large numbers, there’s no telling who might win.
