The Empire of Ants by H.G. Wells
Summary: "The Empire of the Ants" is a science fiction short story by H.G. Wells that follows Captain Gerilleau, a Creole commander, and Holroyd, a Lancashire engineer, aboard the gunboat Benjamin Constant. They are tasked with traveling up the Amazon River to the town of Badama to assist its inhabitants against a plague of unusually intelligent and aggressive ants. Initially skeptical, Gerilleau views the mission as absurd, but as they journey deeper into the jungle, they encounter increasing evidence of the ants' threat. The ants, unlike any known species, are large, organized, and capable of killing humans with a venomous sting. Along the way, they discover a derelict boat, the Santa Rosa, whose crew has been killed by the ants, and later, their own lieutenant, da Cunha, dies after being stung while investigating the vessel. Overwhelmed by the ants' power and the futility of their mission, Gerilleau decides to burn the Santa Rosa and, upon reaching Badama, fires th...