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

Brian Bilderback wrote:

> Michael Llaneza wrote:
>
>> The problem with "liquid storage" is that British colonists would
make
>> puddings from it.
>
>
> No comment

oh yes you did

>
>> 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.

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.

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.

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