What are gliding ants?
Some species of ants that live in the tropical rain forest canopy use a form of gliding (or “directed aerial descent”) to return to their home tree trunk when they fall from branches. When a gliding ant falls, jumps or is brushed off of a tree branch (e.g., by a passing monkey), it drops straight down for a few meters, then makes a rapid adjustment in orientation such that its abdomen is pointed toward the tree trunk. This alignment consistently directs the path of the falling ant through the air in a steep glide ending at the trunk.
