RE: (TFT) Hymenopteran Version --> Blinded by Science

["rmorger" <rmorger@mail.ev1.net>]

---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "rsmith" <rsmith@lightspeed.ca>
Reply-To: tft@brainiac.com
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2003 05:42:11 -0800

>	There was some method to his madness in
>calling his hive insects Hymenopteran's.  All
>most all of the hive species are hapdiploids
>Hymenopterans.  (The only exception I can
>think of is the termites.)  So if you were
>going to pick a name for them Hymenopteran is
>as good as any.  (Well, their OWN name would
>be better as earth grass likely has more in
>common with real hymenopteran's than any
>species that evolved on another world, but I
>never got the idea that Howard Thompson was
>a science geek.)
>
>	If I had a hive on an island, I like
>the idea of breeding specialized units that
>can swim or float better than building rafts.
>They always seemed 'non technological' to me.
>
>	How does this sound, a version of the
>hymenoptera, use their bodies to make a raft
>shaped skeleton.  Then they foam up with
>goo that hardens into water resistant Styrofoam
>stuff.  They have cup like hands for bailing,
>and webbed feet for pushing the raft along.
>Their heads face inside the raft so they can
>breathe.
>
>	Other bugs load on the raft and away!
>
>	Rick
>



Interesting idea but I think the simplest solution would probably 
be just to fly where they needed to go. Taking the eggs or larva 
they need to establish a new hive or an extension of the old.

The interesting part about some of the fireant rafts I saw was 
that most of them had a bunch of eggs on them when they made land 
fall, I still wonder if some of the large ones had a queen in tow.

Robert Morger
Boerne, TX
rmorger@2ev1.net 

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