Formica archboldi
| Formica archboldi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| F. archboldi are the darker-colored ants in this image, the reddish-orange one in the center is a Polyergus lucidus queen | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Formicini |
| Genus: | Formica |
| Species: | F. archboldi |
| Binomial name | |
| Formica archboldi Smith, 1944 | |
Formica archboldi is a species of ant in the family Formicidae, hence its common name, Skull-collecting Ant.[1] They are known for their unusual behavior, which includes the collection and storage of Odontomachus (trap-jaw) ant skulls.
Formica archboldi ants store these severed ant heads in their nests. Formica archboldi have odors that are chemically similar to the odors of the trap-jaw ants, which might allow Formica ants to disguise themselves among trap-jaw ants. Formica ants immobilize trap-jaw ants by spraying formic acid, then drag them into their nest, and dismember them.[2][3]
Further reading
[edit]- Bolton, B. (3 May 2016). "Catalogue of the Ants of the World" (PDF). unpublished communication. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
References
[edit]- ↑ Ward, Philip S.; Blaimer, Bonnie B.; Fisher, Brian L. (2 February 2016). "A revised phylogenetic classification of the ant subfamily Formicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with resurrection of the genera Colobopsis and Dinomyrmex". Zootaxa. 4072 (3): 343–357. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4072.3.4. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 27395929.
- ↑ "Skull-collecting ants slay with acid". Nature. 16 November 2018. Archived from the original on 2020-09-23. Retrieved 2018-11-19.
- ↑ Smith, Adrian (16 November 2018). "Predatory behavior of Florida's skull-collecting ant". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 2018-11-19.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Formica archboldi at Wikimedia Commons
