Animals have distinctive shells that act as protective exoskeletons, but this type of protection has not been observed before in insects of the order Arthropod, to which crustaceans also belong.

And recently, scientists discovered the first evidence that ants possess shields that contain a large proportion of magnesium calcite, which covers their exoskeleton.

Ants need protection

Ant societies give us the best examples of the extent of organization these social insects possess. Through cooperation, they can search for food, build complex nests, and care for queens and colonies in general.

But the leaf-cutter ants of the type (Acromyrmex echinatior) show this cooperation in stages, as the colonies of this type contain millions of ants and are divided into 4 classes each with a different role, in order to preserve the different types of fungi that feed on them, except that such colonies The big ones always face increased risks due to their exposure to various pathogens.

For this reason, ants need some external protection, and it seems that these small creatures need such protection to support the growth of their structures naturally, but scientists are skeptical about the importance of this protection.

Leaf cutter ants are exposed to an increased risk from pathogens (uric allert)

Protective shields

In a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States and published in the journal Nature Communications on November 24, scientists analyzed the white granular covering that coats leaf-cutting ants.

The scientists concluded that these covers act as protective hand shields for the body, making them the first protective shields to be discovered in the insect kingdom.

According to the report published by the "Science Alert" website, Cameron Curry, a lead researcher in the study and a microbiologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says that "their research has been concerned with leaf-cutter ants for many years, because this species has a wonderful relationship it has with the bacteria that produce it." Antibiotics, which helps him fight diseases. "

Using a number of imaging techniques such as an electron microscope, the team was able to photograph the mineral crystals that cover the ants' outer shell, as the scientists found that the outer covering consists of a thin layer of rhombic magnesium calcite crystals, each of which is 3 to 5 micrometres in size.

Young ants do not have hard outer shells (Pixabay)

Such covers may be considered normal when we see them as hard shells covering the bodies of crustaceans such as lobsters (lobsters), but it is also considered normal for ants, which seem to have preserved this feature from their crustacean ancestors.

Various types of protection

Scientists have raised young ants to know when they acquired these hard covers, and scientists discovered that this cover does not exist in young ants, but it develops rapidly with the maturation of the ants, which ultimately leads to the formation of the solid outer structure.

To find out the role these covers play for ants, scientists have put ants that possess these shields and do not possess them in experimental battles with other armies of ants of the type (Atta cephalotes), in simulation of what happens in the natural environment of ants.

Scientists discovered that ants that had these shields were more protective than others that did not, as they noticed that "ants with hard covers lost fewer parts of their bodies, and their survival rate was higher compared to ants that did not have such metal covers." The team says.

Hard covers provided protection for the ants in their battles as well as from pathogens (PGT56-Wikipedia)

In addition, the ants that had these hard covers were more protective of the pathogens, as the team found that ants without these shields were more susceptible to infection with one of the insects that attack the fungi.

Scientists believe that leaf-cutting ants are not the only insects that possess such protection, which is confirmed by the team members, saying, "We may see similar examples of these caps of magnesium calcite in more types of insects, which paves the way for promising research in this area."