Typically, worker ants are larger than the others and work to protect and defend. But not the Colobopsis explodens, a new species of Colobopsis cylindrica, known colloquially as "exploding ants," described in the journal ZooKeys. While the "minor" workers partake in self-sacrifice, the major workers protect the colony by barricading the nests with their enlarged, gaping-mouthed heads. In that way, the major ants are somewhat reminiscent of whale sharks, the giants of the oceans who feed by swimming with their mouths open. A major worker of Colobopsis explodens, with its characteristically enlarged head.

Source: CBC News April 19, 2018 18:33 UTC