Being the largest ants on Earth, army ants, such as African Dorylus queens have the greatest reproductive potential among insects, with an egg-laying capacity of several million per month. Army ant queens never have to leave the protection of the colony, where they mate with foreign incoming males which disperse on nuptial flights.

2021年5月25日 · When army ants evolved their foraging behavior from group to mass raiding, they also massively expanded their colony sizes. Army ant colonies now have tens of thousands - and often millions - of ants."

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 ...

2021年5月25日 · Here we combine phylogenetic reconstructions, automated behavioral quantifications of group raiding behavior, and experimental manipulations of colony compositions in a non-army ant doryline to show that mass raiding has likely evolved from group raiding via simple scaling effects related to increasing colony sizes.

Army ant colonies are mobile: they do not construct or excavate nests; instead, they shelter the queen and brood inside a living nest of linked workers—the bivouac. Foraging workers depart the bivouac en masse, collect food, and return.

2024年7月5日 · Colonies of army ants are large compared to the colonies of other Formicidae. Colonies can have over 15 million workers and can transport 3000 prey (items) per hour during the raid period. When army ants forage, the trails that …

2024年4月11日 · In the Panamanian forest, researchers track swarms of carnivorous army ants and the birds that follow them. A new documentary reveals a glimpse of life, and research in the Neotropics. In the early morning light just a few miles from the Panama Canal, a colony of army ants march one by one from their nest.

2021年5月25日 · Researchers combine phylogenetic reconstructions and computational behavioral analysis to show that army ant mass raiding evolved from group raiding through the scaling effects of increasing...

2016年8月25日 · Ant Wars are a direct, aggressive interaction between ants of different colonies. Ants are engaged in competition with other ants. For example, if one colony monopolizes the supply of food, this source is unavailable to other ants – that is an indirect form of competition.

2021年10月22日 · Eciton army ants are so named because of their military-like foraging tactics in which vast numbers simultaneously swarm over an area the size of a football pitch, ruthlessly devouring their prey, mainly other ant species and wasps. The thoroughness of these “raids” prevents army ant colonies returning to the same area.