A long journey to the ants

Since I've pounced on Edward Wilson's sociobiological books in another review, I guess it's time to give the devil his due. Yes, Eddie is a very good myrmecologist! "Journey to the ants" is his popularized book on the subject, co-authored with fellow myrmecologist Bert Hölldobler.

The book isn't suited for absolute beginners, since the reader is almost immediately thrown into the complicated world of ants, with little or no preparation. However, it's excellent for people who already have at least a working knowledge of these ubiquitous and somewhat annoying insects.

All the usual ground is covered: leaf cutter ants, weaver ants, soldier ants, honeypot ants... There are chapters on slave-raiding among ants, the strange symbiosis between aphids and ants, and between ants and the larvae of blue butterflies. Hölldobler and Wilson have also included a chapter on themselves!

Frankly, I knew most of this before, already as a kid. Bug period, anyone? But yes, "Journey to the ants" also contained some new and intriguing information. For instance, that the ants probably evolved from wasps. The missing link was found in a middle class neighbourhood in New Jersey! Equally fascinating is a species of almost degenerate parasitic ants in Switzerland, which live out their lives in the nests of other ants, indeed on their very backs, without the hosts ever noticing. Some species of ants are still virtually unknown, such as a termite-like ant in Costa Rica, observed by Hölldobler just once, and never heard from ever again. Another rare species of ant, with a very primitive social organization, was discovered by chance during a chilly night in the Australian outback when only the most enthusiastic of scientists were collecting insects. There is even a species of ant that uses tools (no kidding): they drop small pieces of pebble into the nest holes of competing ants, as a way of attacking them! Equally weird is a species of ant in India with social mobility: the sterile workers can actually become fertile "queens" (or something like it), but only at the expense of somebody else, who is thus demoted to lower rank. And yes, it's all decided by personal combat. An ant meritocracy?

In a way, I found the book entertaining. As a child, I was afraid of most bugs, except butterflies and...ants. I'm not sure why ants didn't scare me. Children's books with ants as heroes? Epigenetic constraints on phobias? Thank god they didn't scare me, because they had an intense liking for our balcony!

Well, with Ed and Bert talking about their childhood, I guess I might as well chime in!

I give this book four stars out of five, and recommend it to anyone who wants to journey to the ants.