As hardy as the dwarves they often share subterranean habitats with, these ants are incredibly sturdy, difficult to crush even with tongs. This rigidity in their carapace is an adaptation perfectly suited for living within stone, particularly marble. They secrete a chemical corrosive that permeates and dissolves marble (saved for later use as a cement for hive repair and nest building), consequently weakening it. Often called 'dwarvish termites', they can plague mines and wells to the point of collapse. It is rumored that they are one of the secrets to dwarvish masterpieces in sculpture and stoneworking, in that dwarves have developed an effective repellant for the ants. If a marble slab is coated with this repellant in a decorative pattern, the ants will obligingly bore around tainted marble. So small are the ants that exquisitely tiny patterns may be so fashioned.
