The Expanded Self: Society as Self 263“9x6” b2726 Self and the Phenomenon of Life: A Biologist Examines Life from Molecules to Humanityspecific work distinct from others, and each depending on one type of
food for subsistence. Today there are fourteen thousand known species
of ants. Their high degree of cooperation and evolutionary adaptability
makes them the most successful animals on earth, surpassing all other
insects. Their total biomass occupies more than half that of all insects
combined, and is roughly equivalent to that of all mankind.
The social structure and genetic features of ants are roughly the
same as those of honeybees. Namely, a colony is made up of one (or sev-
eral) queen(s) whose only function is to lay eggs and reproduce; a small
number of males whose role is to fertilize the queen; and numerous
workers (all females) that engage in caring for the queen and the brood,
in maintaining the nest, and in food gathering. Some workers double as
soldiers for defense and attack. Among the countless species of ants, a
few are especially interesting and worth mentioning.
Leafcutter ants are peaceful farmers and vegetarians. Their work-
ers cut leaves into fragments and transport them to the nest to construct
a garden, in which they grow fungi for food consumption. By contrast,
army ants (and the African driver ants) are an aggressive group whose
voracious, insatiable, carnivorous appetite drives them on perennial
migration in search of food. Their long list of prey consists of other
insects including roaches, beetles, wasps, and other ants; and even small
animals such as scorpions, rodents, snakes, lizards, and birds. A marching
swarm of army ants is one of the most unforgettable displays of nature,
fanning out several miles long and hundreds of feet in width. In times
of danger, the workers use their bodies, frequently at their own peril, to
protect their charge, and build living bridges with their bodies to allow
other members to march on. These ants are active in the day time but rest
in temporary camps at night in a “bivouac”, made up of the swarm itself.
To do this, between 150,000 and 700,000 workers link their bodies and
legs together with their claws, forming interlocking layers of chains and
nets and solid walls that safely surround the queen and the immature
ones. Ahead of their advance, army ants frequently send out scouts that
leave a scent trail for the colony to follow. Knowing this, natives of Africa