Back to photostream

Weaver ants

G7

 

The worker ants form a chain along the edge of the leaf and pull the edges together by shortening the chain by one ant at a time. Once the leaf edges are in place, each ant holds one larva in its mandibles and gently squeezes the larva to produce silk. The silk is used to glue the leaf edges together.

 

Adult weaver ants are reddish to brown in color and have 10-segmented antennae with 2-segmented clubs. Their eyes are relatively larger than those of other species of ants. They do not have stingers, but can give painful bites caused by the chemicals secreted from their abdomen. They make nests in trees or on leaves of legumes, or in bunds or levees of the fields. They have the most complex nests among ants' nests. They use fresh leaves to build nests.

 

Weaver ants get their name from their habit of binding fresh leaves with silk to form their nests. Their lifecycle spans a period of 8 to 10 weeks.

 

767 views
8 faves
13 comments
Uploaded on November 15, 2010
Taken on November 15, 2010