Re: About those Piranha Bugs - LOOOOONG (and more LOOOOONG)

Michael Llaneza wrote:

The problem with "liquid storage" is that British colonists would
>>>make
>>>puddings from it.
>>
>>
>>No comment
>
>
>oh yes you did

Damn... you weren't supposed to notice.

>>
>>>Other than that, if these things only swarm in self-defense (to
conserve
>>>hive 'energy') then a few stings here and there in a well-populated
>>>ecology with lots of animals shouldn't be so devastating as to
preclude
>>>hives.
>>
>>
>>The description from the after battle report didn't sound like a few
>>stings here and there.
>
>
>That's a swarm situation.

Yes, which is a lot more threatening and intimidating than a few
stings...

>Another possibility is for the majority of the bugs to
>
>>hibernate
>>until a herd of animals comes by and then they swarm and strip a few
>>animals to the bone, store the food and resume lower levels of
activity.
>
>
>>
>>See my last post.
>>
>I can see a hive swarming once or twice a year when migrating herds go
>by, and maintaining a merely mosquito-like activity level the rest of
>the year (with most of 'em hibernating). That's more plausible than a
>hive constantly taking animals. I do agree that a constantly deadly
hive
>would rapidly kill or drive away its prey. I just think that a hive
with
>a less agressive posture could be successful.

Yes, but I still maintain it would be more successful if no other hives
were 
around to predate while it was dormant, and therefore territorialism
would 
reduce density of hives.

>Another possibility with having herds of beasts as the "natural prey"
of
>the hives would be including the reproductive cycle include annual
large
>kills. A new queen would take up residence in tunnels under each (most,
>some or one) kill. This would almost have to be at some distance from
>the original hive, or they'd get too dense and eventually deplete the
>herd or cause it to find new routes or (over a longer period) evolve
>defenses.

Which sounds a lot like my original point.....

>It's also possible that insectivores would evolve defenses and go after
>the bees when they swarm.

As do some species on Earth vs. bees etc., such as bears.

Brian B2

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