Formica archboldi is a species of ant in the family Formicidae.[1] They are known for their abnormal behavior, which includes the collection and storage of Odontomachus (trap-jaw) ant skulls.
| 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 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Formicini |
| Genus: | Formica |
| Species: | F. archboldi
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| Binomial name | |
| Formica archboldi Smith, 1944
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Formica archboldi ants store these severed ant heads in their nests. The Formica archboldi have odors that are chemically similar to the odors of the trap-jaw ants, which might allow the Formica ants to disguise themselves among the trap-jaw ants. The Formica ants immobilize the trap-jaw ants by spraying formic acid, dragging them into the nest, and dismembering 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 unpublished communication.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.
- ^ "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
