COME FLY WITH ME

The sizeable forest insect that glides because its life depends on it

- Nick Baker's

FOSSIL EVIDENCE TELLS US THAT INSECTS have put wings to good use in their domination of the planet for the past 325 million years. However, some of these insects have given up their various motile flaps and flanges, yet still retained mastery of the airspace. That’s right – they ‘fly’ without wings.

Technically, ‘gliding’ ants don’t actually fly but, as their name suggests, they do glide – and with incredible aeronautical nuance, too. Quite a few ants do it, but the most studied species is Cephalotes atratus, a large black beauty of an ant, with the average worker measuring just over 1cm in length. It is found throughout the steamy lowland forests of tropical South America, and has evolved a clever way of addressing the challenges posed by its home habitat.