Konrad Wothe / Slow motion clip of Wood ants (Formica rufa) on anthill, squirting formic acid to repel threat, Bavaria, Germany, April.

Ammonite / Tracking shot over a Wood ant (Formica rufa) nest, Dorset, England, UK, April.

Ammonite / Close up of a Wood ant (Formica rufa) nest, Dorset, England, UK, April.

Alex Hyde / Leaf-cutter ants (Atta cephalotes) carrying pieces of leaf that they have harvested back to their underground fungus garden in their nest, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. Photographed in mobile field studi...

Alex Hyde / Leaf-cutter ants (Atta cephalotes) carrying pieces of leaf that they have harvested back to their underground fungus garden in their nest, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. Photographed in mobile field studi...

Bence Mate / Leafcutter ants (Atta sp) colony harvesting pieces of a banana leaf, Costa Rica.

Bence Mate / Leafcutter ants (Atta sp) colony harvesting a banana leaf, Costa Rica. 3rd place in the Insects and Spiders category of the Terre Sauvage Nature Images Awards competitions 2015.

Bence Mate / Leafcutter ants (Atta sp) colony harvesting a banana leaf, Costa Rica. OVERALL WINNER: Wildlife Photoghrapher of the Year 2010 from Eric Hosking Award portfolio image 2/6

Christian Ziegler / Army Ant (Eciton hamatum) colony forming a bridge by climbing over each other, some are carrying food back to nest, Barro Colorado Island, Panama

Konrad Wothe / Red Wood Ant (Formica rufa) colony reacting in defensive behavior by spraying formic acid from a gland in rear of their abdomens, Sweden

Mark Moffett / Fire Ant (Solenopsis geminata) colony with queen ant, workers and pupae, Florida

Mitsuhiko Imamori / Honeypot Ant (Camponotus inflatus) repletes hanging from ceiling of larder, engorged with nectar they will regurgitate on demand to other workers, central Australia