Re: [Epic] Tyranids vs Tyranids

From: David Lado <lado_at_...>
Date: Sun, 31 Aug 1997 14:49:21 -0400 (EDT)

>>p.s. There are ant colonies that attack one another, and IIRC there is some
>>kinda of slavery involved, if the assaulting colony wins.
>>
>And ants eat most things, like 'Nids, and they have non-sentient (Well,
>neither are they, so they don't complain) life forms that they use, like
>'Nid Bioconstructs and stuff.

Yeah, ants as a group eat almost everything concievable. Some species,
however, are highly specialized, eating only 1 or 2 different food items.
There are ants that raid each other, or termites or what ever,
for food. Other ants are scavangers while others eat fungus grown on
carefully maintained underground compost heaps (the brazilian leaf
cutter ant). Still others eat nectar produced by carefully herded
and bred aphid populations, or nectar produced by trees which also
provide living quarters for the ants (which in turn protect the
tree from parasites). Ants do just about everything (neat little
guys!).

>So yeah, I think 'Nids are very much like ants,

I like the analogy also. Ants by themselves will still continue to
be ants (i.e. they go by their instinctive behavior), but it is the
collective action of many ant working together that gives purpose
and significance to the individual actions. In this sense, ants are
like a "macro-organism"; that is, the whole colony is a creature,
which acts and reacts is a singleminded way.

David
Received on Sun Aug 31 1997 - 18:49:21 UTC