Their weapons are what nature gave them. Some have strong armor, deathly stingers, or sharp mandibles.

螞蟻的部落會互相揭起戰爭

And then there's this tiny and not very impressive ant,

他們所使用的武器是自然賦予給他們的

but it rules the biggest empire any ant has ever built.

有部分擁有著外甲殼,

A colony spanning continents and fighting wars that leave millions of casualties.

致命的蜇刺,

Let's take a look at this unlikely warrioress,

抑或是銳利的雙顎.

"Linepithema humile" the Argentine ant.

然而有一種非常小隻,

♫ Kurzgesagt intro music ♫

並不引人注目的螞蟻.

This story begins in the floodplains around the Paraná River, in South America,

但它掌握著任何螞蟻從未建立過的王國.

It's a crowded ant megalopolis where dozens of ant species fight for dominance,

有著遍佈各大洲的殖民地,以及造就了數百萬傷亡的戰爭.

including fire ants, army ants and the rather unimpressive Argentine ant.

讓我們來解析這些看似不可能成功的戰士,

It measures only 2 to 3 millimeters in length and with its small mandibles,

Linepithema humile(學名), 阿根廷蟻

it's surprising that it survived among its buff competitors.

*好聽的音樂*

Their homes are equally unremarkable.

這個故事要從巴拉那河周圍的濕地說起

Their colonies range from fairly small to very large and could be found anywhere:

在南美洲

Under logs, in loose leaf litter or the former colonies of other ants.

這裡有著很擁擠的螞蟻聚落

Here, Argentine ants prepare their most effective weapon against their competitors: bodies.

在這裡，數十種螞蟻在爭奪著支配權

Most ant species have only one queen to produce ants,

包括了火蟻及行軍蟻

while Argentine ants went all-in on numbers.

以及不起眼的阿根廷螞蟻

For every 120 workers there's one queen,

它們身長大約二到三釐米

laying up to 60 eggs a day.

只有著小小的下顎

So their colonies grow fast and have millions or billions of individuals.

令人感到驚訝的是,它們在眾多強大的對手中存活了下來

Teams of queens and workers frequently branch out and found new colonies.

他們的巢也相當的不起眼

But this strategy has a downside: As colonies grow and produce a lot of offspring,

他們的巢窩可大可小

mutations occur and new colonies adapt to new environments.

且可以在任何地方被找到

Their DNA slowly changes from generation to generation and differences accumulate.

樹幹底下,

So after a while the ants that left the colony

飄散的落葉,

will become more like distant cousins and start to compete with their mother colony.

或者是其他螞蟻的舊窩

In their native South American range, this is how Argentine ants behave.

在此,阿根廷螞蟻儲備著最有效對付他們的競爭對手的武器.

Within their colonies they are very cooperative and well-organized,

他們的身軀.

but they fight vicious wars against other Argentine ant colonies and other ant species

大多數的蟻種只有一個蟻后來進行生產

With equally strong opponents on every side,

然而阿根廷螞蟻則全力增加著族群的數量

the Argentine ant became extremely aggressive, fighting for every inch of ground.

大約每120隻工蟻會伴隨一隻蟻后

But it could never dominate its neighbours... until humans showed up.

每隻蟲后每天產下大約60個蛋

We did what humans do and transported things around the world by ship.

因此它們的領地迅速的發展,擁有著數以百萬甚至數億的人口

On one of them, a few Argentine ant queens hitched a ride as stowaways

結群的蟻后及工蟻經常離群並尋找新的領土.

from South America to Madeira and New Orleans.

但是這種戰略存在著一個缺點

The Argentine ants suddenly found themselves in a strange world.

隨著領地的增加,及後代數量迅速的成長

Instead of being surrounded by deadly enemies,

蟻群突變而且適應了新的環境

they found only victims ⁠— nobody could fight them effectively.

它們的DNA隨著世代交替慢慢的改變

Because only a few Argentine ant queens were introduced to the outside world,

並漸漸的產生差異

the resulting colonies had very low genetic diversity.

一段時日過後,

On top of that, the introduced Argentine ants

那些離群的螞蟻,會逐漸變得比較像遠親

kill up to 90% of their queens every year.

並可能開始與原本的族群競爭

Fewer queens, less genetic variation.

在南美洲的領土當中,阿根廷螞蟻的族群是這樣運作的

So, as these colonies spread across the landscape,

在它們的領地裡,它們相互合作並有著良好的組織

ants that left the colony were no longer considered distant cousins.

但它們會與其他蟻種甚至其他阿根廷蟻開戰

As a result, the new colonies form not opposing but cooperating parties called "supercolonies".

在雙方勢均力敵的情況下

This is a very uncommon strategy in the ant kingdom,

阿根廷蟻變得十分好鬥

only a few of the 16,000 ant species have evolved supercolonies.

為了每一吋的土地而開戰

A supercolony was established on the West coast of the USA

但它們永遠無法併吞它們的鄰居

and became a base for the tiny ants' global conquest.

直到人類的出現為止

Today, the Argentine ant inhabits the Mediterranean zones of six continents and many islands.

我們所的的事就是透過船遊歷全世界

This one supercolony was especially successful,

它們的其中一個族群

establishing sister locations in California, Europe, Japan, New Zealand and Australia,

少量的阿根廷蟻后搭著便船

forming one massive intercontinental megacolony of Argentine ants.

從南美洲抵達了馬德拉及新奧爾良

This makes them the largest society on Earth, more numerous than even the human one.

阿根廷蟻發現了自己抵達了一個陌生的地方

But their success has changed the ecosystems they invaded.

並沒有被致命的敵人包圍

California is a perfect example of this.

它們所找到的只有犧牲者

In their greed for more territory,

沒有其他人能與它們競爭

the invading Argentine ants have overrun and replaced 90% of the native ant species,

因為只有少數的阿根廷蟻被送到了異地

including several species of Californian carpenter ants.

使得族群的多樣性大幅的降低了

Although carpenter ant workers are giants,

更重要的,被引進的阿根廷螞蟻每年殺掉了大約九成的蟻后

their colonies have only between 3,000 and 6,000 individuals

更少的蟻后導致了更少的遺傳變異

and stand no chance against an expanding supercolony of billions of Argentine ants.

因此隨著國土遍佈了整片大陸

Argentine ant workers attack by wiping toxic chemicals on their victims

離開的螞蟻並沒有被認作為遠親

which irritates the enemy and marks them as a target for other Argentine ants.

其結果為

When they attack, the Argentine ants wash over their victims,

新的族群並沒有與舊的族群對立

clinging on to their opponents in groups and pulling apart their limbs.

取而代之的是它們合作組成了超級群落

It doesn't matter how many of them die ⁠— there are always more.

這是螞蟻國度中很少採用的策略

Once the colony is overrun and exterminated,

一萬六千種螞蟻中只有少數品種發展了超級群落

the Argentine ants feed on their victims brood and take over their home and territory.

有一個超級群落在美國西海岸逐漸的成長

The Argentine ants' numbers allow them to hunt down and devour such an excessive mass of different insects

並變成了小小螞蟻征服地球的根據地

that over time some species disappear from the ants' territory completely.

今日

Argentine ants don't care about working with the local flora and fauna,

阿根廷螞蟻棲息在六大洲

they consume them and move on.

以及無數島嶼的沿岸地區

And, if their next stop happens to be human property,

超級群落發展得特別成功

they will rudely make themselves at home there too.

在這些地點都成立了姊妹群落

They forage in dumpsters, bowls of pet food and sneak into kitchens to claim leftovers.

加州,

Not just our homes: our gardens and fields are also impacted by Argentine ants,

歐洲,

since they tend to hordes of aphids as their cattle.

日本,

The aphids feed from plants and produce a sweet honeydew, which they trade with the ants for protection.

紐西蘭,

Since the ants have no major enemy to fear in their new homes,

以及澳洲

the aphids thrive and ultimately kill the plants they live on.

建構了一個龐大的跨洲阿根廷蟻群

So, on top of being a major disruption for the ecosystems they invade,

這讓他們成為了地球上最大的社會組織

they are also a huge pest for agriculture.

這甚至超越了人類社會

But the rule of the Argentine ant is being challenged.

但他們的入侵也改變了當地的生態系統

Parts of the super colonies have broken off and become their own empires.

加州就是一個很好的例子

A merciless civil war has broken out.

它們渴求於更大的領地

For example, the Lake Hodges Supercolony has been fighting against the Very Large Colony

侵入的阿根廷蟻群已經控制當地並替換掉九成當地的原生蟻種

for years in San Diego County.

其中包含了數種加州巨山蟻

A massive war is going on over a dynamic front line stretching over kilometers,

儘管巨山蟻相當巨大

an estimated 30 million ants die here each year.

它們的族群數量大約只有落在3000至6000之間

On other fronts, an old acquaintance from the Parana River has risen from the shadows

並沒有能力去抵抗由數十億的數量所組成的阿根廷螞蟻族群

Red imported fire ants,

阿根廷蟻的工蟻透過抹上有毒的化學物質

which were accidentally introduced from their old home to the coast of Alabama,

來刺激敵人

Not only are the red fire ants fierce fighters and more than able to deal with the

以及將它們標記為目標以告知其他阿根廷螞蟻

Argentine ant, they are also able to form super colonies themselves.

當它們攻擊時，阿根廷螞蟻包圍著受害者

Now the old wars from their distant home have been taken to a foreign battleground.

緊緊的咬住對手不放

In the southeastern US the super colonies clashed fiercely.

接著撕裂著它們的部位

The Argentine ants found themselves outgunned by the fire ants. The fire ants major workers are

並不在乎自己死去了多少同胞

more than twice the size of the Argentine ants and wield venom-injecting stingers,

總是會有更多,更多

even though the Argentine ants fought fiercely, the fire ants were too much for them.

當一個蟻窩被淹沒且滅絕

After countless lost battles the red imported fire ant

阿根廷螞蟻會以這些受害者的幼蟲為食

exterminated the Argentine ants super colony from much of the southeastern US.

並接管它們的蟻窩及領土

This is one territory lost but the Argentine ants will fight on.

阿根廷蟻的數量

This amazing network of cooperating super colonies is the biggest success in their history.

允許他們去狩獵併吞食體積比它們大上許多的其他昆蟲

And they'll not give it up because of a small defeat.

隨著時間的流逝，一些物種從螞蟻的領地中完全的消失了

They will stand their ground against any enemy that might arise.

阿根廷螞蟻並不在乎與當地的動植物進行互助

No matter if it's on the Paraná River

它們吞噬這些物種,並持續進行這種行為

or on one of the large battlefields across the world.

如果,它們的下個目標剛好是人類的財產

♫ Background music winds up ♫

它們也會毫不留情的在這裡建立家園

These videos were developed with the support

它們在垃圾裡覓食

of 'Curiosity Stream', a subscription streaming service with thousands of

奪取寵物的食物

documentaries and non-fiction titles.

並潛入廚房並搬取廚餘

Kurzgesagt viewers can visit curiositystream.com/kurzgesagt

並不止於我們的家

to get a free 31-day trial to watch films

我們的花園及田地也受到阿根廷蟻的影響

like "Big World in a Small Garden", a documentary that takes a close look at

它們將蚜蟲當作牛群一樣飼養

the world of insects around us or other documentaries by the likes of Stephen Hawking,

蚜蟲從植物中取食並產生甜甜的蜜露

David Attenborough, and many more, all available for offline viewing.

它們貢獻這些給螞蟻作為保護費

Once your trial is over, the subscription is only 2 dollars 99 a month.

由於這些螞蟻在新家並沒有令它們害怕的天敵

Curiosity Stream was founded by the same people who started the Discovery Channel, with

蚜蟲群會不斷茁壯最終

documentaries, spanning science, nature, history, technology and lifestyle.

害死它們所居住的植被

It's a great way to binge watch fun videos while accidentally learning things.

因此,它們的入侵造就了嚴重的生態系統破壞

Thank you so much to our friends at Curiosity Stream for supporting our ant's obsession

它們也是農業的主要害蟲

and making ant-bitious projects like this possible, stay tuned for part three and visit

但是阿根廷蟻的統治權正受到挑戰

curiositystream.com/kurzgesagt for your free trial.

有部分的超級群落已經解離

*Kurtzgesagt duck quacks while floating through space* ♫ Outro music ♫

並成立了自己的王國