Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified. They are easily identified by their geniculate (elbowed) antennae and the distinctive node-like structure that forms their slender waists.
Ants form colonies that range in size from a few dozen individuals often living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies that may occupy large territories with sizeable nest that consist of millions of individuals or into the hundreds of millions in super colonies. Typical colonies consist of various castes of sterile, wingless females, most of which are workers (ergates), as well as soldiers (dinergates) and other specialised groups. Nearly all ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens" (gynes). The colonies are described as superorganisms because the ants appear to operate as a unified entity, collectively working together to support the colony.
Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. The only places lacking indigenous ants are Antarctica and a few remote or inhospitable islands. Ants thrive in moist tropical ecosystems and may exceed the combined biomass of wild birds and mammals. Their success in so many environments has been attributed to their social organisation and their ability to modify habitats, tap resources, and defend themselves. Their long co-evolution with other species has led to mimetic, commensal, parasitic, and mutualistic relationships.
Ant societies have division of labour, communication between individuals, and an ability to solve complex problems. These parallels with human societies have long been an inspiration and subject of study. Many human cultures make use of ants in cuisine, medication, and rites. Some species are valued in their role as biological pest control agents. Their ability to exploit resources may bring ants into conflict with humans, however, as they can damage crops and invade buildings. Some species, such as the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) of South America, are regarded as invasive species in other parts of the world, establishing themselves in areas where they have been introduced accidentally.
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Non-native ants are breaking down biogeographic boundaries and homogenizing community assemblages
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How 16th Century Trade Made Fire Ants an Early Global Invader
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Been there before, those fucker's can EAT. The uni I worked way back seemed to have the team on a loose diet and also this was when carbs were still considered the beat nutrient, so we'd know to just make a fuckload of shifty pasta with a bunch of meat. Spaghetti bolognaise usually, so we could reliably make lots of one thing with decent assurance they'd go for it. Also, most successful pasta ever was just kraft dinner. It was amazing to see a veritable cauldron, 6 feet deep, it had steps built into it being filled with like 4 PALLETS of boxes of KD, I think it was like 40 boxes per round. Meanwhile, after moving on from dish, I'm just vibing in the vegan section with my older Lebanese chef and learning how to make all my favorite foods REALLY well. Last week was the weekend before uni starts and my not that big city has 5 of em, so that was going off pretty hard. This week p-12 schools start back up so there's been a lot of tired ass families just eating out cause it's hard getting back to the routine. My work is slowest over the summer, we're a bit outside the tourist zone and it's upscale Italian food in East coast Canada, people aren't visiting here for that, they want seafood and our whitewashed donairs
I didn't even know this was a thing. Does it involve the meat not being seasoned as much as it should be before it goes on the spit?
Mostly in it being a much sweeter garlic sauce. Halifax donairs.
Ah, makes sense. The sauce is absolutely key to a proper Halifax donair. It's so hard to find a place in/around the GTA that does it right. There's an Ontario chain called Sam's Grill that almost gets it right, I usually get one when I'm feeling a little homesick, it's definitely tasty and it scratches the homesickness itch. But whenever I visit my New Brunswick ancestral homeland, I make sure to get three things during my time there: a Halifax donair, a Danny burger, and a steak sub from the local-favourite-sub-place.
I have a Danny burger sauce recipe bookmarked, I've been meaning to actually make it at home sometime.
Danny's and their sauce is new to me but that sounds pretty fucking good. Also as ab
, I've got a condensed coconut milk vegan donair sauce that tastes exactly the same and a Seiten domain recipe. Worked at the only vegan place in town that wasn't also trying to be heslth food and the owner, scumbag she is although I'd work for her again in a heartbeat against my current non vegan and richer scumbag owner, was the only vegan restauranteur to advertise her tiny greasy spoon diner but vegan place in those little flyers they put in hotel rooms. So we were THE vegan tourist place and those Seiten donairs moved hard. Her only fuck up was having lettuce instead of just tomato and white onion and doing it as a real wrap in a tortilla. It's messily slathered into a pita that you then eat with a knife and fork, and it should be too saucy to ear any other way. That's a donair. We even had pita bread for other things so it was doable. When I ate meat I'd fuck around with fancy burgers, now that I don't, if I get a vegan burg I want a normal burger. Ketchup and mustard, maybe mayo if they have it vegan, pickles onion lettuce tomato. I don't eat burgers enough to want a non classico style burg. Same logic should apply to those donairs and I argued about it enough to see she wouldn't budge. Also donair sauce should be the standard garlic ginger sauce and it's weird that garlic fingers aka garlies aren't continent wide. Actually fun fact, garlic fingers are a new Brunswick invention as we know them
I'd love to try a seiten donair. I'm cutting back on meat in general - though admittedly more for financial rather than principled reasons. I'm always up for trying something new that's a vegetarian or vegan option. I've recently gotten into air-fryer tofu and that whole land of marinades.
Would you marry me?
It's tight except for the fact that although Seiten is crazy high in protein, it's still made of bread so you're eating bread, wrapped in bread with veggies and that can be unfulfilled in the long term.
And chances are I would.