How Can Ants Walk on Walls? Science Explain

KOMPAS.com – Ant is one of the animals known as hard workers. These insects also live in groups, and always work together in carrying out their duties. However, it turns out ant also has another uniqueness, namely when he walks on the wall.

When with the group, all will walk neatly in one line, both when walking on the surface of objects or the ground, or when walking on walls.

Ants are excellent climbers, because, these insects can easily climb or walk on smooth surfaces vertically and upside down.

You may have wondered, how ants can walk on walls without falling. To answer this, animal sundries discusses why ants can walk on walls.

According to a study published on Wednesday (11/11/2015) in the journal PLOS ONEwhile walking on the wall, the ant uses several ways in which one of them is adhesive pad pretarsal which is in the foot.

Ants can also walk on walls assisted by a dense arrangement of fine hairs on the side of the abdomen.

Also read: 7 Deadliest Types of Ants in the World

How ants can walk on walls

1. Using adhesive pads

Many animals, apart from ants, have also developed special adhesive pads on their feet for climbing or walking on smooth surfaces.

The pads on these feet are very soft and have a relatively smooth surface, even consisting of an arrangement of fine hairs.

Researchers revealed that the adhesive pads in insects expel a small amount of fluid between the pads and the substrate, thereby creating capillary forces.

In ants, the pads are called pretarsal adhesive pads, where the main mechanism is to achieve grip on walls and ceilings by sticking them.

“Most of the adhesive structure of animals depends on direction, they only stick when pulled towards the body. Such things are found in various taxa, including flies, bush crickets, ants, cockroaches, tree frogs, spiders and geckos,” the researchers wrote. .

As reported by Fauna FactsMonday (13/9/2021) skills ant walking on the wall has inspired the development of Stanford University’s SpinyBot II wall-climbing robot, as well as the American Institute of Physic’s ZPD robot.

Also read: Unique Way Ants Share Information with Their Herds, Vomit Liquid into Each Other’s Mouth

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