Conjoined ants, awesome!

[bugmankeith]

First case of conjoined insects i've ever seen! I wonder if it's possible for an insect to have 2 heads after seeing this? http://myrmecos.net/2010/12/03/ant-freaks-of-nature/

 

[catfishrod69]

Thats really crazy. Maybe conjoined twins is possible in anything, but happens less in certain things. Thanks for sharing.

 

[desertanimal]

COOL. So. Cool!

 

[Malhavoc's]

I wonder when and how the morph occured, was it an eg that turned into conjoined larva then into two adults, or two larva who were stuck together and pupated together? the fact that it not only made it to adult hood but was a funtional part of the coloney ( it was found moving leaf parts.) is amazing.

 

[Moonbug]

Wow, it "was carrying leaf fragments in a foraging trail"! I would love to have seen a video on that! That is so cool!

Thanks bugmankeith, for sharing that!!!

 

[bugmankeith]

I wonder when and how the morph occured, was it an eg that turned into conjoined larva then into two adults, or two larva who were stuck together and pupated together? the fact that it not only made it to adult hood but was a funtional part of the coloney ( it was found moving leaf parts.) is amazing.

That's what amazed me is that they pupated together without any damage to any body. I dont think they were two seperate larvae even if they pupated next to each other they would not get stuck so perfectly like this mirror image.

 

[Bugs In Cyberspace]

I suspect that if it can occur once it probably occurs (relatively) frequently in populations the size of familiar ant colonies. I don't imagine they usually live very long for various reasons. Always neat to photograph an aberration that isn't part of the Ripley's exhibit.

 

[llamastick]

Isn't there a theory that "double-tailed" scorpions are the result of a partially-developed conjoined twin?

 

[bugmankeith]

Isn't there a theory that "double-tailed" scorpions are the result of a partially-developed conjoined twin?

There are double tailed scorpions! Goes to Google....

 

[HoboAustin]

That's amazing. So if I had a lizard or tarantula with two heads, would I have to feed it twice as much when I feed it?

 

[bugmankeith]

That's amazing. So if I had a lizard or tarantula with two heads, would I have to feed it twice as much when I feed it?

Probably not it would still only have 1 stomach. One of the heads might be the dominant one that eats though.

 

[Galapoheros]

Wow that's weird, nice pic find.

 

[Malhavoc's]

Probably not it would still only have 1 stomach. One of the heads might be the dominant one that eats though.

as far as I know with snakes, there is often one dominant head, though they do occasionaly argue over whom gets to drink and whom gets to eat it usualy falls to one specific head for the task. The intresting thing about this ant; Is that its not just the head that is seperated but thorax aswell, meaning they amount of shared organs if any is very limited making it all the more fascinating it is possible this ant did have to eat twice.