Quite at Home

I opened fourteen nests of F. sanguinea, and found a few slaves in all. Males and fertile females of the slave-species are found only in their own proper communities, and have never been observed in the nests of F. sanguinea. The slaves are black and not above half the size of their red masters, so that the contrast in their appearance is very great. When the nest is slightly disturbed, the slaves occasionally come out, and like their masters are much agitated and defend the nest: when the nest is much disturbed and the larvæ and pupæ are exposed, the slaves work energetically with their masters in carrying them away to a place of safety. Hence, it is clear, that the slaves feel quite at home.

Darwin dug up fourteen nests of the blood-red ant and found captives in every one, working beside their captors as if they had never lived anywhere else.

Source: Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species, 1st ed. (John Murray, 1859), ch. VII "Instinct," on the slave-making instinct. Text: Project Gutenberg. Public domain in the US. Pairs with: Swords (ants): Seven or Five of Swords A note from 2026: Biologists now say "dulosis" or "social parasitism." The captives were stolen as pupae and imprint on the raiders' nest scent, so "quite at home" is chemically true.

Public domain in the United States.