It took us three or four days to complete the move.
The move itself is not complicated. Even though there is plenty of food now, our food storage is not too much. Plus the ant eggs, larvae and pupae that need to be moved, the move can be completed in one or two trips.
The main work is still the construction of the new home.
The natural tree hole in the jujube tree and a deep natural crack in the tree hole are enough to accommodate all our ant colonies.
We were mainly busy using a mixture of soil, grass stems, own saliva and feces to narrow the entrance to the tree hole and build a thick outer wall.
This wall not only provides additional defense and reduces the area of an overly large and wide nest entrance, but also provides good thermal insulation in winter.
There is a lot of space in the tree hole, but there are no partitions. Our species is not good at building nests. We can only simply place the queen and young ants inside, and let the warriors live near the exit.
As for the older male ant, no one paid attention to him. He silently found a safe corner inside and huddled.
The tribe across the street, our new neighbors, had moved two days before us. Because the distance is so close, we can clearly observe each other's activities.
There were always a few warriors from the opposing tribe who were not convinced, and from time to time they would make provocative movements in our direction by opening their jaws and shaking the sting needles on their buttocks. The young warriors of our tribe often responded in kind.
However, neither side made any further remarks too fiercely. Everyone knew that there was plenty of food now and there was no need for a big war.
The other tribe seems to be busy hoarding food for the winter these days. Every day, prey is brought back one by one and placed in the sun on the trunks and branches to dry.
Our tribe is similar. A large amount of food can be provided in the territory every day. The well-fed warriors hunt more efficiently, and the ant queens are also full-bellied and lay eggs to their heart's content.
According to the eldest ant queen's recollection, the last time the tribe experienced such prosperity was several years ago. At that time, outsiders had not arrived in large numbers, and degenerates rarely showed up. In the hilly areas, conflicts within the same tribe were more frequent, but they were frequent. Not violently.
All in all, it's a good day.
The peace was broken one day. On this day, three young warriors went out hunting in a team, but only one came back with serious injuries.
She told the tribe that after they captured the prey, they encountered a giant cockroach and paid no attention to it. As a result, the cockroach pounced in front of them, and they discovered that this "cockroach" had a pair of huge sickle front legs.
The bark mantis, the terrifying killer that the young ant queen and I encountered reappeared. It not only stole the prey, but also killed two warriors of our tribe.
This news was quickly reported to the entire tribe, reminding the ants who went out to take precautions.
When the young queen ant and I encountered the bark mantis, we also reported relevant information. But at that time, the place where we encountered the bark mantis was not part of the tribal territory, so we didn’t pay much attention to it.
Now, the tribe’s territory has expanded, and the reappearance of the bark mantis, which has also brought casualties, has shown that our tribe overlaps with its territory.
This is an inevitable conflict, and there can only be one or a group of top hunters in a territory.
After a simple tribal meeting, everyone agreed to hold a hunting ceremony on the new territory.
The so-called hunting ceremony means that the whole tribe goes out to expel or kill serious threatening insects in the existing territory to ensure the safety of the entire tribe.
There are not many situations that warrant a tribe's full force. Generally, only a single powerful insect is worth doing, such as a giant scorpion, a giant centipede, or a mantis.
If they are wasps, hornets, and termites that appear in clusters, we generally do not dare to provoke them easily. As long as the other party does not specifically target us, we reluctantly agree to temporarily share territory and space with these large and powerful competitors.
No matter how you measure it, this solitary, elusive, and threatening bark mantis is worth giving up two or three days of hunting time to go out in full force.
——I am the dividing line——
I led two young soldiers and searched a bush at a steady but cautious pace, but found no target.
Although the new territory is not big, only half a valley, any soldier can walk from south to north in half a day.
But among the many plants and undulating land in the territory, it is not easy to find a specific target.
Therefore, dozens of warriors from our tribe came out in groups, with every three warriors forming a group. One or two senior warriors led the young warriors to disperse and search.
Once traces of the target are discovered, a single group will not risk killing them. If prepared in advance, the bark mantis may not be able to detect the warriors monitoring it. Even if they are discovered, as long as they are not attacked by surprise, the three soldiers can deal with it until reinforcements arrive.
Once a target is found, the warrior will use the stinger on his butt to regularly tap the branches or trunks nearby. This dull impact sound can be transmitted for a certain distance and arouse the vigilance of nearby companions.
Nearby companions will also start tapping, and through tapping at different frequencies, the approximate information about the target's position and distance will continue to be transmitted.
Subsequently, a large number of reinforcements will arrive at the target location eagerly and continuously. When the warriors gather to a certain number, they can start hunting and completely kill or expel the target.
Our group search does not have too clear divisions. Everyone just goes in different directions and decides the search area by themselves. Sometimes, several teams would encounter each other in the same area, and sometimes they would inadvertently miss the same plant.
But given enough time, sooner or later we will dig through the entire territory.
As an apex predator, the bark mantis has a fixed activity area. Although it does not build a nest, it also has a habitual overnight spot. It was only a matter of time before it was found.
As the "chief warrior" of the tribe, I led two newcomers, young warriors who had just emerged from pupa, to search stone after stone and plant after plant.
Our group is not moving very fast, it can even be said to be a bit slow. Seeing that subsequent teams kept passing us in other directions, the young soldiers in the team were a little impatient.
They communicated with me, and I unceremoniously demanded their obedience. I am the older and more capable warrior, and they must obey me and not question my decisions.
And my cautious habits are also good qualities that allow me to survive to this day and continue to succeed in hunting and duels. These young warriors, just like me back then, still need to continue to hone their skills.
But the senior warrior who trained me has died in the battle with the Fallen...
