Ants make their own ant-ibiotic for infected wounds

Enlarge / An ant carrying away one of the termites it preys on. (credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Although humans may think we are alone in creating antibiotics, there is a species of ant that secretes an especially powerful one—no pharma lab required.

The Matabele ants (Megaponera analis) of sub-Saharan Africa eat only termites. Unfortunately, the fierce mandibles of termite soldiers cause injuries that, if infected, can turn fatal. Ants back at the nest rush to the injured and can tell which wounds are infected. They then secrete an antibiotic for them.

An international team of researchers observed these ants closely and analyzed their antibiotic secretion. They found it can reduce mortality by about 90 percent in injured ants and that the ants can identify chemical changes that result from infected wounds, focusing treatment on those that need it most.