Wildlife

Suicide Bombers

The first new species of “exploding ants” since 1935 has been discovered in the remote rainforests of Borneo, Thailand and Malaysia. The insects give their lives in selfless acts that produce a burst of toxic yellow goo to kill invaders.

“When threatened by other insects, minor workers can actively rupture their body wall,” said lead researcher Alice Laciny of Austria’s Natural History Museum. “Apart from leading to the ants’ imminent death, the ‘explosion’ releases a sticky, toxic liquid … to either kill or hold off the enemy.”