Death race: what is Muravieva?

The circular mill, or the carousel of death, or a death spiral, is a natural phenomenon in which one or more ants begin to run in circles. Gradually, this race involves more and more ants, who continue the movement until exhaustion — until he drops dead.

At first glance, this phenomenon is completely unfounded. In fact, the explanation he got. The reason lies in the pheromone trail that ants leave.

During the movement of the ants are guided not on his sight and smell and touch. When an ant searches for food, it secretes an odorous substance — pheromone. The purpose of this hormone is to lead other ants along. If one of the ants lose the scent of its predecessor, in search of, he can stumble upon a... its own pheromone trail. By following it, ant emit more pheromone. Other ants sensing a chemical signal, are joining the movement. In the course they produce more of the hormone. Poor people think that they are moving forward more and more clear the trail. But in reality they just run around in circles until, until will not fall lifeless to the ground.

To break the cycle is possible, but manages a very small number of lucky ones. The largest ant in the circle watched in 1921, the American William Beebe. The diameter of the carousel was 635 metres and it lasted 2 days.

Translated by «Yandex.Translator»