I would tend to model the pirahna bugs on a bee type system. Some comparisons
first:
Pirahna bugs are relatively small and numerous, so are bees.
Assuming the pirahna bugs are living in nest because they are colony type
bugs, it would be implied that they are gathering food for the hive, not the
individual. This in turn implies some sort of transport capability as well as
storage ability. This again would make them simlar to bees.
You can pack several hives of bees relatively close together (e.g.
beekeeping). Bees roam miles and miles to gather their food even if hives are
in close proximity. So it would be possible for several hives to cover the
same territory.
I suspect that bees are less competitive simply because it is difficult
to steal their nectar/pollen easily in transit. Highly combative or
predatory insects tend to be over the types of food that are easily
stolen - whole leaves, grubs, insect parts.
If pirahna bugs operate on the idea that they are transporting food back to
the hive, I would think it unlikely that they are merely grabbing a bite and
taking back a mouthful. At the other extreme, I think it unlikely that they
are ripping out large chunks (relative to body size) and hauling those back
either. A more likely scenario is that they take a few bites, store them in
some type of internal sac and regurgitate
back at the hive. It may even have the advantage of being pre-digested
for grubs or queens. There is probably some type of liquid storage in the
hive.
If the mechanism is somthing like this, it would seem more advantageous to
have greater numbers of workers to rapidly dissect and transport a food source
rather than wasting effort on breeding soldiers to intercept or guard against
opposing workers since you don't directly benefit by killing opposing workers
(i.e. you can't steal their package of food). It would be a more successful
strategy of having overwhelming numbers of workers so that if a food source
does appear, you can grab more of it in a shorter amount of time.
I would also think that this type of insect is more of a scavenger
rather than an active hunter, looking for non-moving flesh, rather than
actively hunting down moving creatures. If this is the case, the local fauna
may not see them as a major threat and be willing to live among such hives. If
there is a high concentration of fauna, there are probably more carcasses for
the hives to feed off of.
Alternatively there may be a symbiotic relationship with some type of animal
or plant. It may be that a fungus grows on their droppings, and this fungus
attracts various birds, small animals or even larger animals
in times of drought or famine. Everyone wins - animals have a backup
food supply in times of famine, and if one or two gets eaten, everyone else
survives when they might have starved to death. The fungus gets a normally
safe home and lots of material to grow on. The pirahna bugs get waste handling
and a lure for food.
Alternatively the bugs can life off the fungus and merely supplement their
diet with the occasional high protein snack. There are many variations of this
PSB to explain how they work. I'm always amazed at
the stuff we find on earth - i.e. bacteria that lives in near boiling
water, creatures that can survive tremendous pressures in the depths of ocean
trenches, the fact that ravens can count up to 7 and make tools, modified
bacteria that lives inside our cells (mitochondria), beds of fungus that
stretch for acres and are estimated to have lived for thousands of years, etc.
I've always been interested in the "Deathworld" type ecosystems and trying to
figure out how to generate one that seems plausible. Some examples are David
Drake's "Surface Action" and "Redliners" and the "Deathworld Trilogy" by Harry
Harrison.
--Binhan
> -----Original Message-----
The problem with "liquid storage" is that British colonists would make
puddings from it.
Other than that, if these things only swarm in self-defense (to conserve
hive 'energy') then a few stings here and there in a well-populated
ecology with lots of animals shouldn't be so devastating as to preclude hives.
Another possibility is for the majority of the bugs to hibernate until a herd
of animals comes by and then they swarm and strip a few animals to the bone,
store the food and resume lower levels of activity.
> B Lin wrote:
> I would tend to model the pirahna bugs on a bee type system. Some
<snip>
> If pirahna bugs operate on the idea that they are transporting food
> From: "B Lin" <lin@rxkinetix.com>
Piranha Bugs are (It seemed from the write-up) carnivorous. Bees are
not. Wasps and hornets are, but they tend to have smaller hives and Don't pack
separate hives together as nicely as bees (And Africanized bees lean in this
direction as well).
> I suspect that bees are less competitive simply because it is difficult
Not to mention the fact that once a bee from one nest takes nectar from a
flower, there's still more nectar being produced. That dead animal can only be
eaten (in it's carcass form) once. Prey is renewable, but not as renewable as
flowers. Look at the attention a kill on the African plains
creates among all the local predators/scavengers. Most predators are
opportunistic and very competitive.
*SNIP*
> If the mechanism is somthing like this, it would seem more advantageous
> source rather than wasting effort on breeding soldiers to intercept or
> that if a food source does appear, you can grab more of it in a shorter
> amount of time.
True as far as it goes. But while the food already in the worker may be
difficult toi steal, the remains still on the carcass CAN be be stolen. And if
you breed workers who aren't hunters too, the animal isn't dead in the first
place. Also, the total number of bugs in the area can't exceed the local
ecology's ability to sustain them. This will be the main limit on
numbers of bugs, regardless of whether they're several colonies or one big
one - it'll never get bigger than what the prey population can support
- at
least not for very long before starvation reduces them back to equilibrium.
> I would also think that this type of insect is more of a scavenger
If
> there is a high concentration of fauna, there are probably more
Anything that defends it's nest as ferociously as that will be a threat
whether it's a predator or a scavenger. Look at the example of Africanized
bees. They don't eat the animals they kill, but they're still a real threat,
especially when introduced to areas where they're not native.
> Michael Llaneza wrote:
> The problem with "liquid storage" is that British colonists would make
No comment
> Other than that, if these things only swarm in self-defense (to
The description from the after battle report didn't sound like a few stings
here and there.
Another possibility is for the majority of the bugs to
> hibernate
See my last post.
> Brian Bilderback wrote:
> Michael Llaneza wrote:
oh yes you did
> Other than that, if these things only swarm in self-defense (to
That's a swarm situation.
Another possibility is for the majority of the bugs to
> hibernate
> See my last post.
I can see a hive swarming once or twice a year when migrating herds go
by, and maintaining a merely mosquito-like activity level the rest of
the year (with most of 'em hibernating). That's more plausible than a hive
constantly taking animals. I do agree that a constantly deadly hive
would rapidly kill or drive away its prey. I just think that a hive with
a less agressive posture could be successful.
Another possibility with having herds of beasts as the "natural prey" of
the hives would be including the reproductive cycle include annual large
kills. A new queen would take up residence in tunnels under each (most, some
or one) kill. This would almost have to be at some distance from the original
hive, or they'd get too dense and eventually deplete the herd or cause it to
find new routes or (over a longer period) evolve defenses.
It's also possible that insectivores would evolve defenses and go after the
bees when they swarm.
Brian, These are unique bugs then being the only ones I know that are not at
need cannibalistic......)
> Michael Llaneza wrote:
The problem with "liquid storage" is that British colonists would
> make
Damn... you weren't supposed to notice.
> Other than that, if these things only swarm in self-defense (to
Yes, which is a lot more threatening and intimidating than a few stings...
> Another possibility is for the majority of the bugs to
Yes, but I still maintain it would be more successful if no other hives were
around to predate while it was dormant, and therefore territorialism would
reduce density of hives.
> Another possibility with having herds of beasts as the "natural prey"
of
> the hives would be including the reproductive cycle include annual
Which sounds a lot like my original point.....
> It's also possible that insectivores would evolve defenses and go after
As do some species on Earth vs. bees etc., such as bears.
G'day,
> I would tend to model the pirahna bugs on a bee type system.
Actually of all the social insects I'd say the Piranha Bugs are closest to
Army Ants in behaviour as it wouldn't take many changes to go from Army Ant
behaviour to Piranha Bug (really just need to start building bivouacs out of
mud rather than themselves).
Cheers
> Beth.Fulton Wrote:
> Actually of all the social insects I'd say the Piranha Bugs are closest
I agree with that statement.
as it wouldn't take many changes to go from Army Ant
> behaviour to Piranha Bug (really just need to start building bivouacs
Or carcasses, as you suggested......
Or trees.....
Or any shelter they can find (Why limit their opportunistic behavior to
their eating habits? Why not also to their shelter-seeking
habits?).....
See? I like lots of alternatives.....