The last time said that I would tell you about the Bala (bullet in Spanish) ant. This ant is the largest ant in the world and has the most irritating sting. The locals call it the "bullet ant", or the "24 hour ant." The sting is said to feel like a bullet, and last for about 24 hours. They are very common on the trees that we are working with. However, luckily they do not normally forage in large groups like the leaf cutter ants or the army ants. They are normally seen alone, sometimes in groups of 2 or 3, and they are usually seen just walking slowly along a branch, or on the ground. When they are on a branch (and you do look for them) it is better not to disturb that particular branch.
One time Sara, Joanne (the 2 ladies I work with) and I noticed a Golden Orb-Spider--the largest orb spinning spider in the world--sitting on her web and thought (perhaps only I thought) it would be interesting to see what the largest spider would do with the largest, meanest ant.
So, Richard--that's me--decides to look for a Bala with the idea in mind to throw the Bala into the web of the orb-spider. I found a suitable Bala in no time, but I didn't want to pick it up with my bare hands. I came up with the idea of getting a long stick, coax the ant on the stick, and throw the ant off the stick into the web. "Simple enough," you say. "Sounds like a good plan if you are stupid enough to play with the most powerful stinging ant in the world," you say. Well, I am, and I did.
I found a nice long stick to get the ant onto so I could throw it. What I like to refer to as bad luck immediately started to interfere with my well thought out plan. The stick I had chosen was not a good solid stick for its full length, and broke off at about 2.5 feet. So, the stick is not quite as long (by about 2.5 feet) as I wanted it to be. However, the Bala is now walking away from me, deeper into the forest, so I needed to hurry. Not being one to put off making decisions, I decided to use the shorter stick.
As the ant was peacefully taking a slow walk on a branch, about waist high, I put the end of my stick directly in front of her so she could climb aboard and I could just flick her into the web. You don't think it worked out that way do you--nah. She wouldn't get on the stick, so I tried again. She still wouldn't get on the stick, so I prodded her. In retrospect, I think that is where I made my second mistake. Number one was choosing, of all the millions upon millions of sticks in the rain forest, a stick that was too short! Number two was prodding the ant. She did not take kindly to it.
This time she clambered aboard my too short stick in double quick time! Not only that but she ran up my too short stick as fast as she could run. You have to remember that this ant is over an inch long, and my stick is only 2.5 feet long. Of course I am holding on to one end, so now the effective length of the stick, the ant can use, is only 2 feet long minus the ant's own 1+ inches of body.
I know it is too late now, but to make a long story short, I didn't have much time! I panicked. By the time the ant was a little more than 1/2 way up the stick. I saw an opening out of the corner of my eye, and threw the ant. Well, it was the wrong opening! I missed the web by probably 3 feet. Sara and Joanne started laughing so hard I thought I was going to have to carry them back to the research station.
As I see it, there are three conclusions one could make here: 1) one shouldn't play with very dangerous animals, 2) one should leave demonstrations involving dangerous animals to experts that have had experience working with them, 3) (and this is my favorite) next time get a better stick.
Until next time,
This is Costa Rican Richard saying so long.