Outbreak populations occur cyclically across European pine forests — 8-12 year cycles similar to forest tent caterpillar in NA. Major outbreaks documented in 1930s-40s Germany, 1980s Baltic region, ongoing in Polish-Russian pine forests.
Over 100 species of birds, butterflies, and other animals have evolved to follow army-ant raids — the most species-rich animal-following community on Earth.
Bullet ant colonies are surprisingly small — a few hundred to a few thousand workers — compared with the millions of leaf-cutter or driver ants sharing their forest.
Bumblebee colonies live one year — the queen overwinters alone and founds a new colony each spring.
The famous Silence of the Lambs poster moth is a chrysalis of Acherontia styx — a death's-head cousin.
Driver ants build no permanent nest — the colony moves continuously and bivouacs as a living ant-ball when it stops.
Emperor scorpion mothers carry 10-30 live young on their backs for the first month after birth.
