The Ant Plague

A coalition of several ant nests created a bioweapon–a highly contagious disease that could jump across species. At last, they believed, they would be able to wipe out their competition. While they themselves were also susceptible to the disease, they had discipline and social organization that other organisms lacked. They believed they would be able to impose hygenic measures and maintain a social focus on disease prevention that would largely protect them while animals perished.

Once the plague was operative, some animals did die. The main victims were the ants themselves. Not because of their susceptibility to disease, but because of their highly organized social nature. The combination of rigid adherence to rigid quarantine rules plus hysterical mass overcommitment to the goal of avoiding infection meant all the hives starved.