THE COLONY — Research published in the journal ZooKeys tells of a new species of exploding ant found in South East Asia's jungles.
Called "Colobopsis explodens", the ant's body is filled with sacs of deadly toxic substance. They are minor workers in colonies.
A lead researcher in the study told the Washington Post, that these ants attack threats to their nests by biting them, and then moving their posterior toward its body.
The ants will flex their muscles so hard that their skin will burst and release the fluid all over the threat. Next, the threat would meet these massively insects. These are the colonies' major workers and act as the second line of defense.
They remained unknown until now because scientists simply didn't know until recent years know how many types of exploding ants there are, according to the Post. Earlier research in ZooKeys reckons there maybe at least 15 kinds, including Colobopsis explodens.