Phragmosis is any method by which an animal defends itself in its burrow, by using its own body as a barrier.

There are some things easier to explain with a drawing than a photograph. This is why illustration is so important for scientific communication!

This illustration represents phragmosis on the arboreal ant species Colobopsis truncata. Project developed for the researcher Olga Boet.

I decided to draw a section of the tree with a perspective that shows clearly the major ant’s head and body, also showing some details of the oak tree (where this ant species is commonly found, in Europe).

In this species, Major ants spend almost all the time inside the nest. They use their heads, that have a shape like a plug, to block the entrance to the nest, preventing other ants from entering. They only step aside and let in the worker ants from their own nest.

This illustration has the texture and style of a watercolor painting, but is completely made with digital tools.