Formica archboldi
Species of ant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 | |
|---|---|
| |
| 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 |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Formicini |
| Genus: | Formica |
| Species: | F. archboldi |
| Binomial name | |
| Formica archboldi Smith, 1944 | |
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
- 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 unpublished communication.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.
