woodlouse ant Myrmecina graminicola

This tiny ant has one of the best defensive strategies in the insect world: it plays dead. When threatened, workers fold up their legs and antennae and go completely limp—a convincing fake-out that fools most predators into moving on to easier prey. Found throughout Northern Africa, Europe, and Asia, these ants live in small colonies of fewer than 100 workers, making them some of the tiniest ant cities around.

Before mating, females release a powerful pheromone that males find irresistible, and mating happens within seconds of meeting—no courtship, all chemistry. Even stranger, the entire colony is organized around the queen's pheromone trail: workers literally follow her scent to navigate and coordinate movement.