How do Glass Ants create their tunnels?

***** Xenobiology expedition 'Profundity': Log entry 504 *****

Glass Ants are a fascinating species.

We discovered them on an arid desert world last visited by humanity aeons ago. They seem to have evolved from an Earth species into something unique. Glass Ants seem to have two interesting methods when it comes to preserving water.

First, the insides of their nests are made of fused silicates, forming a water-tight seal that prevents moisture from leaching into the arid environment around them. The humidity inside such a nest allows for the comfortable gestation of infant ants even when the air outside is totally dry.

Second, sometimes a caste of the ants that we haven't observed in any other species (we call them "doorway ants") wedge themselves at the mouths of tunnels to better seal the moisture into the nest. In extreme temperatures we've seen these ants sacrificing themselves in order to keep those within safe.

The Glass Ant nests can extend for many meters horizontally; we recorded one with tunnels nearly a meter deep. Sometimes the wind blows the sand away from the top of the nest (a situation that would leave other insects in peril) but the Glass Ant nests protrude stably above the surface, a bizarre testament to the skill of their constructors. In these situations, Glass Ants have been observed entering and exiting through mid-level entrances, while doorway ants block up the exposed but useless entrances high in the air.

The one thing that we haven't been able to work out: how do the Glass Ants manage to generate or handle the intense temperatures required to fuse the sand into the shapes required? We know they can handle some pretty high temperatures (they live in a greenhouse in the middle of a desert, after all), but we're not sure how they summon the thousands of degrees that must be required to create the nests...

If anyone back at HQ has any ideas, we'd love to hear them so we can try confirm their behaviour.

posted about 7 years ago

Joe Bloggs‭

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