Page 6 - My FlipBook
P. 6

WOOD ANT



            Take Aim, Fire!









             It’s.early.morning.in.a.forest..Thousands.of.wood.ants.
             are.scurrying.from.their.nest..


             The.ants.are.leaving.their.home.to.forage.for.food..Suddenly,.a.
             large,.dark,.fast-moving.shape.blocks.out.the.sun..A.hungry.bird.has.
             spotted.the.ant.nest.and.is.swooping.down.toward.the.tiny.insects.


             The.ants.instantly.defend.themselves..They.spray.stinky.
             jets.of.a.chemical.called.formic.acid.into.the.air..Startled.by.
             the.attack,.the.bird.changes.its.mind.and.flies.off.to.find.
             its.breakfast.elsewhere!













                  Wood ants
                spraying formic
                      acid



             A wood ant
           sprays acid from
             its abdomen.



                                     A drop
                                     of acid



                      Abdomen


                                Formic acid gets its name
                                 from the word formica,
                               which means “ant” in Latin.

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