I don’t have ant data in the same table as the beetles, but I did notice a few oddities. In the leafcutter ant colonies, like Atta cephalotes, the workers are split not just by size but by age and even by the thickness of the mandibles, so they choose tasks that suit their anatomy. Then there’s the species Formica candida that sometimes lives without a queen for months; the males and females just take turns for reproduction, which is very unusual. Those systems show that you can get a lot of efficiency by matching the right person—well, in this case, the right insect—to the right task. If you want a more streamlined command, make sure every role has a clear biological advantage for it. And remember, ants keep a ledger of food stores in their anthills, so maybe keep a log of resources too.

Great idea! Keep that ledger neat, and don’t forget to check the beetles’ shell thickness before assigning a task—sometimes a harder exoskeleton means they’re better at carrying heavier loads.

Sounds solid. Once you have the measurements, I’ll help you see which species are best for which loads—like Carabus nemoralis is great for heavy hauling, while the smaller Dytiscus species are better at quick, agile tasks. Keep the sheet tidy and we’ll keep everything in line.