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The Neotropical army ant Eciton burchellii has an estimated 350 to 500 animal associates, the most of any one species known to science. [31] It has been speculated that the nocturnal foraging of some army ant species is done to reduce kleptoparasitism by birds, since the bird kleptoparasites of army ants are diurnal. [12]
Eciton burchellii is a species of New World army ant in the genus Eciton. This species performs expansive, organized swarm raids that give it the informal name, Eciton army ant. [2] This species displays a high degree of worker polymorphism. Sterile workers are of four discrete size-castes: minors, medias, porters (sub-majors), and soldiers ...
The reasons that can lead ant colonies to clash are varied and depend on the species, locations, and contexts. For a number of them, such as leafcutter ants Atta laevigata, wood ants of the genus Formica, certain species of the genus Carebara, or giant ants Dinomyrmex gigas, it is a matter of territory covered and thus the available food for the different colonies.
An army of invasive ants has been so disruptive to a Kenyan ecosystem that it has changed the hunting habits of a pride of lions.. The big-headed ant species, which originated on the island of ...
The most predominant and well-known species is Eciton burchellii, which is also more commonly known as the army ant and is considered the type species. Eciton burchellii and Eciton hamatum are the most visible and best studied of the New World army ants because they forage above ground and during the day, in enormous raiding swarms.
Driver ant queens are the largest ants on Earth and have the greatest egg-laying capacity among insects, laying several million eggs each month. [11] Several species in this genus carry out raids on termitaria, paralyzing or killing termites and carting them back to the nest. [12] Colonies of driver-ant species have only one queen. [13]
All species within the three army ant subfamilies have similar behavioral and reproductive traits such as, obligate collective foraging, nomadism, and highly modified queens called dichthadiigynes. [6] Aenictogiton or army ants never forage or hunt alone, they instead use leaderless, co-operative mass of ants to overwhelm their prey all at once.
They are unique to the subterranean foraging D. laevigatus; other species of driver ant and army ant prefer a constantly changing system of raids with columns alternating directions. [citation needed] These surface foraging ants also prefer to mix castes in their raids, with large and small workers moving together to search for prey.