Weaver Ants Use Their Children as Cement | 4KUHD | China: Nature's Ancient Kingdom | BBC Earth

But he isn't the only forest resident contemplating a new home. This weaver ant is carrying its larva on an important journey. Weaver ants are tree dwellers, so they don't dig nests below ground like other ant species. Building a new home up here requires one of the most extraordinary examples of social cooperation in the animal kingdom. Hundreds of ants draw four leaves together to form the basic superstructure. Then multiple chains of up to 12 workers bridge the gaps between the leaves. Powerful mandibles and strong tarsal claws hold the leaves together. But they need a permanent solution to secure the walls. Which is where the larva comes in. It secretes sticky silk, securing the edges of the nest like a living tube of glue. Numerous larvae are used to build a football-sized nest, which will house the colony's queen. They must slowly guide her to her new home. Extraordinary partnerships like this aren't just confined to Hainan's forests.