Most of the birds we know make nests. The mental image that the term “nest” evokes is that kind of bowl made with branches and plant debris , which birds make to incubate their eggs and take care of their young.
However, birds are not the only animals that make nests, nor is that the only aspect they can have. In the animal kingdom there is an exuberant variety of nests that fulfill a series of functions, among which is almost always that of shelter for the young or laying, but that sometimes extends to other purposes, from protection to sexual attraction. .
There could be hundreds of photos on this list. Spiders, marine worms, bees, wasps… and of course, birds. Also, what may be impressive to some may not be to others, so this list is still subjective. Today I present to you what, for me, are the five most amazing nests.
5. The tricopter cover
The caddisflies, also called caddisflies, are a group of winged insects vaguely reminiscent of moths . Like them, they carry out a complete metamorphosis, that is, they present a larva in the form of a caterpillar, which radically transforms to form the adult animal. But unlike the Lepidoptera —a group that includes butterflies and moths—, the larvae of the caddisflies are aquatic.
The amazing thing about these animals is their nest. The caterpillars, at the bottom of the water, collect gravel, pebbles, plant remains, and even snail shells, which they stick with their silk forming a tube around their body. This tubular sheath can reach several centimeters in length.
So amazing is the result that the French artist Hubert Duprat introduced caddisfly larvae into aquariums, the bottom of which he had covered with fragments of gold and precious stones. The result was tubular nests worthy of a true goldsmith, which ended up on display at the Tasmanian Museum of Old and New Art.
4. A bag made of leaves and silk
Among the ways that ants make their shelters, perhaps the weaver ant’s is the most fascinating. They do not excavate their nests like most species we know; those belonging to the genus O ecophylla make a kind of shelter in the trees. But the most impressive thing is how they do it.
To do this, they require extraordinary coordination that they maintain thanks to a complex pheromone communication system. First a group of workers clings to the margin of a leaf. Then other new workers walk over them and cling to the body of the first ones. A third, fourth, fifth row of workers pile up, in what end up being long chains of ants that can be up to 20 cm long; until they come into contact with a new leaf. Then, they tighten to bring one leaf closer to another, and using their own larvae, which exude a kind of silk similar to that of butterfly caterpillars, they weave and seal the seams between leaves. Thus, the tension is maintained and the sheets do not separate. The result is nests of up to 100 liters of capacity.
A single colony can build dozens or even hundreds of nests spread over several nearby trees.
3. Termite Castles
It is one of the largest nests in the world, something that is even more impressive considering the small size of its occupants. Termite mounds are huge structures that can be several meters high . The internal structure of the mounds can be very complicated, with tunnels, rooms, and ducts that function as cellars, ventilation systems, and a central spheroidal chamber.
However, these massive castles are just the tip of the iceberg. The material with which they are built has been obtained from the same soil by the workers, during the excavation of their tunnels; There is, therefore, as much earth and clay on the ground as there are tunnels under the surface. That is where the real network of catacombs of the castle is hidden.
Depending on the species, the type of soil and how the sun shines, the mounds have different shapes and sizes. In general, these architectural structures manage to regulate the temperature, humidity, and also have a ventilation function for the colony.
2. The trap nest of the fly bird
Among the birds, one of the highest level of sophistication when it comes to building its nest is the Cape flycatcher ( Anthoscopus minutus ). They weave hanging nests that they make with silk from spiders of the Stegodyphus genus, with that characteristic jug shape, and a large and obvious opening. However, this is a bogus entry.
The entrance that is normally seen in these nests leads to a small room that remains empty. The eggs and chickens are found at the bottom of a much deeper and more spacious room, which is accessed through a secret door.
Before entering the nest, the bird must open the entrance with the help of its beak and legs, and once inside, the structure itself causes the entrance to collapse, being hidden from the eyes of any predator, and leaving visible only the fake entry.
1. The zen nest of the frogfish
Not all nests serve only to take care of the laying. Some are also sexual claims. On dry land, a nest created by a busy male can be extraordinarily complex, but he has the advantage that he only has to do it once, and usually, once built, the job is done, aside from a few chores. maintenance here and there. However, if we are talking about a nest made on the sandy or loamy bottom of the sea, the currents can become the worst enemy, and that busy male will have to constantly rebuild all or part of the nest.
That’s what happens to the male white-spotted frogfish ( Torquigener albomaculosus ) , an animal noted for its exuberant courtship display. As if it were a Zen sand garden, it draws complex circular patterns up to 2 meters in diameter ; a titanic feat for a single fish that barely reaches 10 cm in length. But not only the pattern is fascinating; thanks to its movements, it generates small currents that order the grains of sand according to their size; it is considered the most ordered structure created by any fish.
It takes up to 9 days to make, and is kept and used during mating and until spawning occurs. When that happens, the female leaves the nest, and the male is in charge of caring for and protecting the eggs until they hatch five days later, abandoning maintenance work. From there, the ephemeral work of art irremediably deteriorates. After hatching, the male also leaves the nest, which ends up being lost like tears in the rain.
REFERENCES:
También puede interesarte: V
Fagundes, T. M., Ordonez, J. C., et al. 2021. The role of mound functions and local environment in the diversity of termite mound structures. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 527, 110823. DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2021.110823
Jobson, C. 2014, julio 25. Artist Hubert Duprat collaborates with caddisfly larvae as they build aquatic cocoons from gold and pearls. Colossal. https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2014/07/hubert-duprat-caddisflies/
Kawase, H., Okata, Y., et al. 2014. Spawning behavior and paternal egg care in a circular structure constructed by pufferfish, Torquigener albomaculosus (Pisces: Tetraodontidae). Bulletin of Marine Science, 91(1), 33-43. DOI: 10.5343/bms.2014.1055
Mariod, A. A., Saeed Mirghani, M. E., et al. 2017. Oecophylla smaragdina Fabricius Weaver Ant. En Unconventional Oilseeds and Oil Sources (pp. 299-304). Elsevier. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-809435-8.00045-7
Skead, C. J. 1959. A study of the cape penduline tit Anthoscopus minutus (shaw & nodder). Ostrich, 30(sup1), 274-288. DOI: 10.1080/00306525.1959.9633335
Referencia de interés:
Vidal Cordero, J. M. 2021. Las hormigas. CSIC, Catarata.
