ant fact archive

Claudia Keep, Morning Swim, 2022

Claudia Keep

Morning Swim
2022
oil on hardwood panel
50×30 cm
courtesy of the artist and March Gallery

Colonies of Fire Ants30 survive floods by linking their bodies together to form living rafts, similar to the weaving of a waterproof fabric. This traps air bubbles underneath.31 The ants can sail for months at a time as they migrate to a new home.32

  • Solenopsis invicta
  • Air bubbles keep the raft afloat and also ensure that the ants at the bottom rarely drown.
  • Mlot et al., 2011