erved. This probably contributes to why these ants are so difficult to find in the first place.
Both scientists collected an entire live colony and observed them for 10 days. The colony consisted of 13 adult workers, two worker pupae, one male pupa, nine larvae and five eggs, according to Live Science.
But unlike the eponymous dinosaur, these ants exhibited timid behavior. They usually became motionless and fled when other bugs came close, although they possessed a stinger that they would use if any other organism ventured too near to the colony’s eggs and larvae.
But strangely enough, the colony cannibalized its sole male, leaving the researchers perplexed about the act.
Screengrab from video
The male pupa was unfortunately eaten up when he turned into an adult, but it is something "not unheard of", Wong told LiveScience.
In an experiment in which Wong tried to determine the ants' diet, he found out that they pretty much run away from anything.
He was quoted by National Geographic as saying, "I had a good laugh when I saw them respond in this manner to little millipedes, mites, smaller ants, and basically whatever prey I tried to offer them. They wouldn't even get close to honey-and only gently prodded [a] honey droplet with their antennae."
Photo by scientist David M. Phillips - Art and Architecture of Insects
Fascinating Microscopic Photos Of Insects Reveal Details Naked To The Human Eye
They are found to be picky eaters, and can resort to cannibalism if needed. During the captivity, one of the male pupa emerged as an adult, but the other ants immediately ate him. Wong told Live Science that it was "unfortunate", but not unheard of.
After the experiment, the ants are euthanised and preserved for further studies. Both scientist had gone back to Mandai to collect more samples, but to no avail. However, Wong remains positive.
"It's a pretty exciting time to be an ant scientist who enjoys 'scraping it out' in the dirt," he told National Geographic.
Photo by Vadim Trunov (Сanon EF 100 mm f 2.8 macro) - Thirst
Picture posted by Eric, (StreamMix)
National Geographic - http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/05/ants-trex-alive-rare-species-animals/
Gizmodo - http://gizmodo.com/terrifying-looking-t-rex-ants-actually-total-wimps-1795291471