Thousands of ants form rare ‘raft’ in Florida
Rainfall on the University of Florida campus has led to thousands of fire ants partaking in a rare phenomenon.
A video tweeted out by the university’s entomology department shows the fire ants creating an ant raft at UF’s Natural Area Teaching Laboratory.
An ant raft is a mechanism used by ants to avoid drowning in floods, according to Live Science. The large grouping of linked ants, which takes a little under two minutes to form, creates a water-repellent grouping that allows the entire group to float above floodwaters, according to Live Science.
Though likely impossible to quantify, the video posted on Twitter shows a massive gathering on ants floating above water.
The rain has given us a rare sight! Rafts of ants in @UFNATL #UFBugs pic.twitter.com/cMKQ3h1n1t
— UF/IFAS Entomology (@UFEntomology) April 4, 2017
