What is the largest type of ant?
Dinoponera
"Dinoponera" contains one of the largest species of ants in the world, with female "Dinoponera gigantea" specimens measuring in length. Size is the most obvious character distinguishing "Dinoponera" from other genera. The only other ants with a worker caste approaching this size are "Paraponera clavata" (the bullet ant) and the larger "Pachycondyla" such as "P. crassinoda", "P. impressa" and "P. villosa". "Paraponera clavata" is easily separated by its anvil-shaped petiole with a spine on the ventral surface, highly sculptured body and deep antennal scrobes. "Pachycondyla" is regarded as the sister taxa to "Dinoponera". "Dinoponera", in addition to their size, are distinguishable from "Pachycondyla" by the presence of two laterally projecting clypeal teeth and rows of spines on the pygidium and hypopygidium.
Nylanderia
"Nylanderia" is a large, ecologically important ant genus with a nearly cosmopolitan distribution. The ants are found in all geographic regions (with the exception of high-latitude areas), but is notably absent from Europe. Species inhabit a wide array of habitats from deserts to rainforests, although they reach their highest species diversity in forested and warmer environments. "Nylanderia" species are among the most abundant ant species in many places where they occur. For example, Ward (2000) found that "Nylanderia" (recorded as "Paratrechina") was the fifth-most frequently encountered ant genus in leaf-litter samples from around the world.
Atta cephalotes
The species is one of the earliest formally classified ants, first described by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 as "Formica cephalotes" in the 10th edition of "Systema Naturae" together with sixteen other ant species, all of which he placed in the genus "Formica". It was later transferred to a new genus, "Atta", along with five other species by Danish zoologist Johan Christian Fabricius in 1804. In 1911, American entomologist William Morton Wheeler designated "A. cephalotes" as the type species of "Atta". It was also designated as the type species of "Oecodoma", but the genus is now a synonym of "Atta".
A special caste of workers manage the colony's rubbish dump. These ants are excluded from the rest of the colony. If any wander outside the dump, the other ants will kill them or force them back. Rubbish workers are often contaminated with disease and toxins, and live only half as long as their peers.
Ascalapha odorata
The erebid moth Ascalapha odorata, commonly known as the black witch moth, is a large bat-shaped, dark-colored nocturnal moth, found from Brazil to the southern United States. It is the largest noctuid found in the continental United States. In the folklore of many cultures in Latin America and the Caribbean, it is associated with death or misfortune.
Giant pangolin
The giant pangolin ("Smutsia gigantea") is a pangolin species. Members of the species inhabit Africa with a range stretching along the equator from West Africa to Uganda. The giant pangolin is the largest species of pangolins, or "scaly anteaters" – the large, scaled mammals belonging to the family Manidae. It subsists almost entirely on ants and termites. The species was first described by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger in 1815.
Meat ant
The meat ant is one of the best-known species of ant endemic to Australia; it has an enormous geographical range, covering at least one-third of the continent. Its range spans from east to west, and from north to south. This extensive range has allowed the meat ant to form large nesting grounds in areas where no development has occurred, and large amounts of gravel and open space have led to an abundant supply of materials (i.e. pebbles and dead pieces of vegetation) used to construct nests. Its isolation has also allowed meat ants to form associations with neighbouring nests of the same species. The ant is particularly dominant and frequently seen across the coastal and inland regions of southeastern Australia. Based on examined material, meat ants are widespread throughout New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. In Queensland, they are frequently encountered in the eastern regions, whereas their abundance is limited around the north and central parts. The ants are common in the southwestern regions of Western Australia, though not in the north. However, the Division of Entomology of the CSIRO states that the ant's presence in the state has not been verified. Most specimens collected in South Australia are from the south-east, but some populations are known in the north-west and northeast regions of the state. In the Northern Territory, specimens have been collected in the north and south regions but compared to other jurisdictions the ant is uncommon. No specimens have been collected from Tasmania or any outlying islands surrounding Australia.
Banded sugar ant
The banded sugar ant is one of the most widely distributed ants in Australia, but is most commonly found in south-east Australia. It occurs along the north-east coast of Queensland, from Charters Towers in the north to Brisbane in the south. The ant is widespread in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Tasmania. In South Australia, it is a common household pest in Adelaide, and populations are mostly found in the south-east of the state while the species is absent in the north-west. The banded sugar ant's presence in Western Australia has yet to be verified. These ants are found in urban areas, eucalypt forests, dry sclerophyll woodland, grasslands and heaths, preferring a mesic habitat. In the drier regions of Australia, the banded sugar ant is absent and is usually replaced by "Camponotus nigriceps". Banded sugar ants have been recorded from elevations ranging from .
Myrmecocystus mexicanus
Myrmecocystus mexicanus is a species of ant in the genus "Myrmecocystus", which is one of the six genera that bear the common name "honey ant" or "honeypot ant", due to curious behavior where some of the workers will swell with liquid food until they become immobile and hang from the ceilings of nest chambers, acting as living food storage for the colony. Honey ants are found in North America, Australia, and Africa. Ant species belonging to the "Myrmecocystus" genus reside in North America. "M. mexicanus" in particular is found in the southwestern United States and parts of Mexico.
Eciton
Eciton is a New World army ant genus that contains the most familiar species of army ants. The most predominant and well-known species is "Eciton burchellii", which is also more commonly known as the army ant and is considered the type species.
Argentine ant
The worker ants are long and can easily squeeze through cracks and holes as small as in size. Queens are long, much smaller than other species of ants. These ants will set up quarters in the ground, in cracks in concrete walls, in spaces between boards and timbers, even among belongings in human dwellings. In natural areas, they generally nest shallowly in loose leaf litter or beneath small stones, due to their poor ability to dig deeper nests. However, if a deeper nesting ant species abandons their nest, Argentine ant colonies will readily take over the space.
Austrian entomologist Gustav L. Mayr identified the first specimens of "Hypoclinea humilis" in the vicinity of Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1866. This species was shortly transferred to the genus "Iridomyrmex", and finally to "Linepithema" in the early 1990s.
Cataglyphis
Cataglyphis, or desert ants, is a genus of ant in the subfamily Formicinae. Its most famous species is "C. bicolor", the Sahara Desert ant, which runs on hot sand to find insects that died of heat exhaustion, and can, like other several other "Cataglyphis" species, sustain body temperatures of up to 50 °C. Cataglyphis is also the name of an autonomous rover that won the NASA Sample Return Robot Centennial Challenge inspired by the navigation approaches used by desert ants.
Fire ant
Fire ant is the common name for several species of ants in the genus Solenopsis. They are, however, only a minority in the genus, which includes over 200 species of "Solenopsis" worldwide. "Solenopsis" are stinging ants and most of their common names reflect this, for example, ginger ants and tropical fire ants. Many species also are called red ants because of their light brown color, though species of ants in many other genera are similarly named for similar reasons. Examples include "Myrmica rubra" and "Pogonomyrmex barbatus".
Wasp
The largest social wasp is the Asian giant hornet, at up to in length. The various tarantula hawk wasps are of a similar size and can overpower a spider many times its own weight, and move it to its burrow, with a sting that is excruciatingly painful to humans. The solitary giant scoliid, "Megascolia procer", with a wingspan of 11.5 cm, has subspecies in Sumatra and Java; it is a parasitoid of the Atlas beetle "Chalcosoma atlas". The female giant ichneumon wasp "Megarhyssa macrurus" is long including its very long but slender ovipositor which is used for boring into wood and inserting eggs. The smallest wasps are solitary chalcid wasps in the family Mymaridae, including the world's smallest known insect, "Dicopomorpha echmepterygis" (139 micrometres long) and "Kikiki huna" with a body length of only 158 micrometres, the smallest known flying insect.
Leafcutter ant
Next to humans, leafcutter ants form the largest and most complex animal societies on Earth. In a few years, the central mound of their underground nests can grow to more than across, with smaller, radiating mounds extending out to a radius of , taking up and containing eight million individuals.
Woolly giant rat
The woolly giant rat is an exceptionally large rat, the largest living species of sigmodontine rodent, with short limbs and powerful claws. Nonetheless, individuals vary considerably in size, ranging from in head-body length, with a relatively short tail long. Body weight varies from ; no other sigmodontine species has a maximum weight above . The fur is thick and coarse, with an almost uniform shade of dark grey or brown across the whole of the body, although slightly paler on the throat and underside. The tail is scaly and almost hairless, and dark grey to blackish in colour. The rhinarium is large, and the ears short and rounded. Females have eight teats.
List of ant genera
The subfamily Myrmicinae was established by Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau in 1835. It represents 142 extant genera and 36 fossil genera that are distributed globally. It is the largest subfamily of the Formicidae, with more than 6,758 species described. The seed-harvesting ants and fungus-growing ants are well known among the Myrmicines.
List of largest insects
Megaloptera includes dobsonflies, alderflies and relatives. The largest is the dobsonfly "Acanthacorydalis fruhstorferi", which can have a wingspan of up to , making it the largest aquatic insect in the world by this measurement. This species is native to China and Vietnam, and its body can be up to long.
Carpenter ant
In at least nine Southeast Asian species of the "Cylindricus" complex, including "Camponotus saundersi", workers feature greatly enlarged mandibular glands that run the entire length of the ant's body. They can release their contents suicidally by performing autothysis, thereby rupturing the ant's body and spraying toxic substance from the head, which gives these species the common name "exploding ants." The enlarged mandibular gland, which is many times the size of that of a normal ant, produces a glue. The glue bursts out and entangles and immobilizes all nearby victims.
Wasp
Wasps first appeared in the fossil record in the Jurassic, and diversified into many surviving superfamilies by the Cretaceous. They are a successful and diverse group of insects with tens of thousands of described species; wasps have spread to all parts of the world except for the polar regions. The largest social wasp is the Asian giant hornet, at up to in length; among the largest solitary wasps is a group of species known as tarantula hawks, along with the giant scoliid of Indonesia ("Megascolia procer"). The smallest wasps are solitary chalcid wasps in the family Mymaridae, including the world's smallest known insect, with a body length of only , and the smallest known flying insect, only long.
List of largest insects
The largest species of this diverse, huge order are the giant water bugs "Lethocerus grandis" and "L. maximus". These can surpass a length of , although they are more slender and less heavy than most other insects of this size (principally the huge beetles).
Nagarhole National Park
The ant species "Tetraponera rufonigra" may be useful as a marker for the health of the forests because these ants feed on termites and are abundant in places where there are lots of dead trees. Species of dung beetles identified include the common dung beetle ("Onthophagus dama"), India's largest beetle, "Heliocopris dominus" which breeds only in elephant dung and "Onthophagus pactolus", a very rare species of dung beetle.
Fauna of New Guinea
The old endemics have undergone an adaptive radiation, which produced such distinctive forms as the small, shrew-like "Pseudohydromys", the amphibious "Hydromys", tree mice of the genus "Chiruromys", and several genera of giant rats, of which "Mallomys" is the largest. This genus contains the largest rat found in New Guinea, the grey black-eared giant rat ("Mallomys aroaensis"); males can reach a length of 41 centimetres (16.1 in) from snout to vent.
Formica rufa species group
The "Formica rufa" group is a subgeneric group within the genus "Formica", first proposed by William Morton Wheeler. This group contains the mound-building species of "Formica" commonly termed "wood ants" or "thatch-mound ants", which build prominent nests consisting of a mound of grass, litter, or conifer needles. The species "Formica rufa" or the red wood ant is the type species of this sub group.
This particular breed of ant can inhabit open wood with both hard and soft woods, dense pine forests, and even moor land. Workers are polymorphic, the largest reaching about 10 mm long. They can produce formic acid in their abdomens and eject it 12 cm in the air when threatened. The only function of males is to mate in flight with queens. Species previously attributed to the "Microgyna" group were transferred to the " F. rufa" group by the Wheelers in 1986.
Jack jumper ant
Myrmecia pilosula, commonly known as the jack jumper, jumping jack, hopper ant, or jumper ant, is a species of venomous ant native to Australia. Most frequently found in Tasmania and southeast mainland Australia, it is a member of the genus "Myrmecia", subfamily Myrmeciinae, and was formally described and named by British entomologist Frederick Smith in 1858. This species is known for the ability to jump long distances. These ants are large; workers and males are approximately the same size: for workers, and for males. The queen measures approximately in length and is similar in appearance to workers, whereas males are identifiable by their perceptibly smaller mandibles.
Red harvester ant
Pogonomyrmex barbatus is a species of harvester ant from the genus "Pogonomyrmex". Its common names include red ant and red harvester ant. These large (5– to 7-mm) ants prefer arid chaparral habitats and are native to the Southwestern United States. Nests are made underground (up to 2.5 m deep) in exposed areas. Their diets consist primarily of seeds, and they consequently participate in myrmecochory, an ant-plant interaction through which the ants gain nutrients and the plants benefit through seed dispersal. Red harvester ants are often mistaken for fire ants, but are not closely related to any fire ant species, native or introduced.
Dorylus
Male driver ants, sometimes known as "sausage flies" (a term also applied to males of New World ecitonines) due to their bloated, sausage-like abdomens, are among the largest ant morphs, and were originally believed to be members of a different species. Queens are even larger. Males leave the colony soon after hatching, but are drawn to the scent trail left by a column of siafu once they reach sexual maturity. When a colony of driver ants encounters a male, they tear his wings off and carry him back to the nest to be mated with a virgin queen. As with all ants, the males die shortly afterward. After that, the queen ant will lay first eggs. Driver ant queens are able to lay up to 1,000,000 eggs per month.
Myrmecia (ant)
"Myrmecia" is one of the best-known genera of ants. "Myrmecia" ants usually display defensive behaviour only around their nests, and are more timid while foraging. However, most species are extremely aggressive towards intruders; a few, such as "M. tarsata", are timid, and the workers retreat into their nest instead of pursuing the intruder. If a nest is disturbed, a large force of workers rapidly swarms out of their nest to attack and kill the intruder. Some species, particularly those of the "M. nigrocincta" and "M. pilosula" species groups, are capable of jumping several inches when they are agitated after their nest has been disturbed; jumper ants propel their jumps by a sudden extension of their middle and hind legs. "M. pyriformis" is considered the most dangerous ant in the world by the "Guinness World Records". "M. inquilina" is the only species of this genus that is considered vulnerable by the IUCN, although the conservation status needs updating.
Atta insularis
This species is the largest and most notable species of ant of Cuba. "Atta insularis" is unique to Cuba, and has great polymorphism. Its workers specialize in different activities. The warriors have remarkably large heads.
Impacts of tourism
Examples of invasive species spread by tourism:
-Bigheaded ant (Pheidole megacephala): Is one of the worst invasives and classified under the “worlds 100 worst” invasive species. Originally found in the Galapagos islands in 2007 within ship cargo for tourist supplies. Ants can be spread with the movement of people from one island to another. 
-Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum): Spread fast, don’t allow native species to grow, can cause forest fires to spread rapidly. Can be carried by people through shoes and gear, pets and other animals can spread the seeds through their travel as well. 
-Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha): These are believed to have come from the Caspian Sea in Europe in a ships ballast water. They are spread by uncleansed boats from one body of water to another as tourists move to different locations.
Camponotus japonicus
Camponotus japonicus, more often known under the common name Japanese carpenter ant, is a species of ant native to East Asia. It is black, and one of the largest ants. A nest has about ten to thousands of individuals, and it can be a pest when it enters households or protects aphids. There are several subspecies of this ant in different areas of Asia, with the largest of the species being located in Northern China.
Temnothorax americanus
Temnothorax americanus is a species of slave-maker ant in the genus "Temnothorax". The ants are 2–3 mm in size, and endemic to the northeastern United States and adjacent Canadian regions. They do not forage for food, but instead 'scout workers' from the colony seek out nearby host colonies of ants, steal larvae and bring them back to their own colony. A small "T. americanus" colony could consist of a queen, two to five workers and thirty to sixty slaves.
Pavement ant
The pavement ant is dark brown to blackish, and 2.5–4 mm long. Like other ants there are the workers, alates, and a queen. Workers do have a small stinger, which can cause mild discomfort in humans but is essentially harmless. Alates, or new queen ants and drones, have wings, and are at least twice as large as the workers.
Myrmecia forficata
The inchman is the most venomous of the bulldog ants, ranging from about long, but less aggressive than the Jack jumper ant. These ants are purplish-brown, with a black abdomen. Their large size gave them their name, although most are slightly smaller than the traditional inch (25.4 mm). Their nests may be inconspicuously hidden under a rock or in a small hole.
Weaver ant
Weaver ants or green ants (genus Oecophylla) are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae (order Hymenoptera). Weaver ants live in trees (they are obligately arboreal) and are known for their unique nest building behaviour where workers construct nests by weaving together leaves using larval silk. Colonies can be extremely large consisting of more than a hundred nests spanning numerous trees and containing more than half a million workers. Like many other ant species, weaver ants prey on small insects and supplement their diet with carbohydrate-rich honeydew excreted by small insects (Hemiptera). Weaver ant workers exhibit a clear bimodal size distribution, with almost no overlap between the size of the minor and major workers. The major workers are approximately in length and the minors approximately half the length of the majors. Major workers forage, defend, maintain, and expand the colony whereas minor workers tend to stay within the nests where they care for the brood and 'milk' scale insects in or close to the nests.
Giant weta
There are eleven species of giant weta, most of which are larger than other weta, despite the latter also being large by insect standards. Large species can be up to 10 cm (4 in), not inclusive of legs and antennae, with body mass usually no more than 35 g. One captive female reached a mass of about 70 g (2.5 oz.), making it one of the heaviest documented insects in the world and heavier than a sparrow. This is, however, abnormal, as this individual was unmated and retained an abnormal number of eggs. The largest species of giant weta is the Little Barrier Island giant weta, also known as the wetapunga. One example reported in 2011 weighed 71 g.
Pharaoh ant
The pharaoh ant ("Monomorium pharaonis") is a small (2 mm) yellow or light brown, almost transparent ant notorious for being a major indoor nuisance pest, especially in hospitals. The pharaoh ant, whose origins are unknown, has now been introduced to virtually every area of the world, including Europe, the Americas, Australasia and Southeast Asia.
Titanomyrma
"T. gigantea" is the largest giant ant ever found, larger than the biggest extant giant ants, which are the driver ants of the genus "Dorylus", found in Central and East Africa. The fossils indicate that the males grew up to and the queens grew to . It had a wingspan of about .
Myrmecia brevinoda
Worker ants have been known to measure 3.7 cm (1.5 in) in total length, while queens can exceed 4.0 cm (1.6 in) in length, making them one of the largest type of bull ant in Australia and in the world. Most of their body is dark red, with the exception of the bulbous part of their abdomen being black.
Myrmecia maxima
Like almost all "Myrmecia" species, "M. maxima" is endemic to Australia. Specifically, the ant lives in the south-west of Western Australia, where other "Myrmecia" species are known to reside. This includes "Myrmecia nigriceps", "Myrmecia regularis" and "Myrmecia vindex". As no type specimen is available, it is difficult to properly identify the species. However, Moore describes the ant in his publication as being one and a half inches long (3.8 centimetres), having very long and sharp mandibles and a formidable sting that produces acute pain. These morphological characteristics (large size, long mandibles and powerful stings) is consistent with most "Myrmecia" species which are well known ants.
List of largest snakes
The largest living snakes in the world, measured either by length or by weight, are various members of the Boidae and Pythonidae families. They include anacondas, pythons, and boa constrictors, which are all non-venomous constrictors. The longest "venomous" snake, with a length up to , is the king cobra, and the heaviest venomous snake is likely to be the Gaboon viper (which also has the longest fangs and delivers the largest amount of venom) or possibly the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake – all three of which reach maximum weights in the range of .
Gigantiops
Gigantiops is a South American genus of jumping ants in the subfamily Formicinae. The genus contains the single species Gigantiops destructor, which is also the sole member of the tribe Gigantiopini. They have the largest eyes among all ants, are known for their ability to jump, and have the highest number of chromosomes of any member of the subfamily Formicinae (2n=78).
Banded sugar ant
The ant is polymorphic and relatively large, with two different castes of workers: major workers (also known as soldiers), and minor workers. These two group of workers measure around in length, while the queen ants are even larger. Mainly nocturnal, banded sugar ants prefer a mesic habitat, and are commonly found in forests and woodlands. They also occur in urban areas, where they are considered a household pest. The ant's diet includes sweet secretions that are retrieved from aphids and other insects that it tends. This species is a competitor of the meat ant ("Iridomyrmex purpureus"), and food robbery and nest-plugging is known to occur between these two ants. Workers prey on insects, killing them with a spray of formic acid. Banded sugar ants are preyed upon by other ants, echidnas, and birds. The eggs of this species were consumed by Indigenous Australians.
Formica rufa
Formica rufa, also known as the red wood ant, southern wood ant, or horse ant, is a boreal member of the "Formica rufa" group of ants, and is the type species for that group. It is native to Europe and Anatolia but is also found in North America, in both coniferous and broad-leaf broken woodland and parkland. Workers are bicolored red and brownish-black, with a dorsal dark patch on the head and promensonotum, and are polymorphic, measuring 4.5–9 mm in length. They have large mandibles and like many other ant species they are able to spray formic acid from their abdomens as a defence. Formic acid was first extracted in 1671 by the English naturalist John Ray by distilling a large number of crushed ants of this species.
Leafcutter ant
Leafcutter ants, a non-generic name, are any of 47 species of leaf-chewing ants belonging to the two genera "Atta" and "Acromyrmex".
These species of tropical, fungus-growing ants are all endemic to South and Central America, Mexico, and parts of the southern United States. Leafcutter ants can carry twenty times their body weight and cut and process fresh vegetation (leaves, flowers, and grasses) to serve as the nutritional substrate for their fungal cultivates, and they are also capable of cutting through human skins.
Lasius
Many "Lasius" species, known collectively as "moisture ants" in the United States, make their nests in and around moist rotting wood as well as under rocks. They can infest buildings, particularly foundation forms in contact with soil, becoming a minor nuisance. They are not considered a structural threat because they only make their galleries in wood that is already decayed. Some species build "cartonlike" nests in moist locations made of decayed wood fragments cemented together with honeydew and the ant's mandibular gland secretions. Workers are monomorphic, 2 to 3 mm long, yellow to dark brown. They are secretive, and forage mostly at night for honeydew and other sweet substances, and may also prey on small insects. Winged reproductive males and females swarm in late summer and fall, which is when building infestations may be noticed. They are distinguished from carpenter ants ("Camponotus"), another structure-infesting species, by being much smaller, and having a notch in the dorsal thorax (top of the center body division), where carpenter ants have a rounded thorax. Widespread moisture ant species include "L. alienus" and "L. neoniger", as well as some "Acanthomyops" species.
Myrmecia maxima
Myrmecia maxima is an unidentifiable species of ant endemic to Australia. A member of the genus "Myrmecia" in the subfamily Myrmeciinae, "M. maxima" was first described by George Fletcher Moore in 1842. As no type specimen is available, "M. maxima" cannot be confidently identified, but the only description Moore had provided undoubtedly describes a large "Myrmecia" species, having long, sharp mandibles and a formidable sting. It is still classified as a valid species. The ant resides in the south-west regions of Western Australia. As other "Myrmecia" species have been identified in these regions, "M. maxima" is possibly a senior synonym of one of these ants. Its former name is recognised as an invalid name after it was suppressed under plenary powers in 1976.
Meat ant
Meat ants are well known for their large, oval-shaped nest-mounds (normally in diameter) that are encountered in areas of occurrence, and obvious to identify. These nests are often associated with many entrance holes; most nests have 20 to 35 holes. On the surface on the nest, workers clear the area of vegetation and cover the mound with gravel, but may use other materials that are available, including sand, pebbles, dead vegetation, eucalyptus fruits and twig fragments. Nests are built in the sun and hardly in the shade to keep them warm. The ant is a polydomous species, meaning that they live in more than one nest. Some colonies are known to create "super-nests": workers construct many nests connected through established paths, extending up to in length. In one extreme case, a single colony was found to occupy over of land with 85 individual nests and 1,500 entrance holes. While they show no aggression toward to their nest mates, meat ants are aggressive to occupants of different nests within the same colony. Polydomy within a colony is typically favoured as it improves access to forage, as workers deliver most of their food to the nest that is closest to any site they forage in.
Army ant
Most New World army ants belong to the subfamily Ecitoninae, which contains two tribes: Cheliomyrmecini and Ecitonini. The former contains only the genus "Cheliomyrmex", whereas the latter contains four genera: "Neivamyrmex", "Nomamyrmex", "Labidus", and "Eciton". The largest genus is "Neivamyrmex", which contains more than 120 species; the most predominant species is "Eciton burchellii"; its common name "army ant" is considered to be the archetype of the species. Old World army ants are divided between the Aenictini and Dorylini tribes. Aenictini contains more than 50 species of army ants in the single genus, "Aenictus". However, the Dorylini contain the genus "Dorylus", the most aggressive group of driver ants; 60 species are known.
Ant War
At the outset of each game the player is required to pick one of five ant types which affects how their colony performs. Leaf cutter ants: who find more food bonuses. Harvester Ants: who find more food items each day. Weaver Ants: who make new ants faster and find gems easier, they also do not like to fight. Carpenter ants who make the nest grow larger. Fire ants: who are good at fighting and find more enemies to fight.
List of ant genera
The subfamily Martialinae contains the single genus "Martialis" which only has one species, "Martialis heureka". The ant was discovered in 2000 Amazon rainforest near Manaus, Brazil. Described in 2008, the ant belongs to the oldest known distinct lineage to have diverged from the ancestors of all other ants.
List of largest insects
The largest species is probably either the Queen Alexandra's birdwing, "Ornithoptera alexandrae", a butterfly, or the Atlas moth, "Attacus atlas". Both of these species can exceed a length of , a wingspan of and a weight of 12 g. Their larvae can weigh up to . However, the white witch, "Thysania agrippina", has the longest recorded wingspan of the order, and indeed of any living insect, at up to , though it is exceeded in surface area and mass by both "Ornithoptera" and "Attacus".
Giant anteater
The giant anteater ("Myrmecophaga tridactyla"), also known as the ant bear, is a large insectivorous mammal native to Central and South America. It is one of four living species of anteaters and is classified with sloths in the order Pilosa. This species is mostly terrestrial, in contrast to other living anteaters and sloths, which are arboreal or semiarboreal. The giant anteater is the largest of its family, in length, with weights of for males and for females. It is recognizable by its elongated snout, bushy tail, long fore claws, and distinctively colored pelage.
List of largest insects
The beetles are the largest order of organisms on earth, with about 350,000 species so far identified. The most massive species belong to the genera "Goliathus", "Megasoma", "Chalcosoma" and "Titanus". The longest species is the Hercules beetle, "Dynastes hercules", with a maximum overall length of at least including the very long pronotal horn.
Bat
Bats are placental mammals. After rodents, they are the largest order, making up about 20% of mammal species. In 1758, Carl Linnaeus classified the seven bat species he knew of in the genus "Vespertilio" in the order Primates. Around twenty years later, the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach gave them their own order, Chiroptera. Since then, the number of described species has risen to over 1,200, traditionally classified as two suborders: Megachiroptera (megabats), and Microchiroptera (microbats/echolocating bats). Not all megabats are larger than microbats. Several characteristics distinguish the two groups. Microbats use echolocation for navigation and finding prey, but megabats apart from those in the genus "Rousettus" do not, relying instead on their eyesight. Accordingly, megabats have a well-developed visual cortex and good visual acuity. Megabats have a claw on the second finger of the forelimb. The external ears of microbats do not close to form a ring; the edges are separated from each other at the base of the ear. Megabats eat fruit, nectar, or pollen, while most microbats eat insects; others feed on fruit, nectar, pollen, fish, frogs, small mammals, or blood.
The following classification from Agnarsson and colleagues in 2011 reflects the traditional division into megabat and microbat suborders.The head and teeth shape of bats can vary by species. In general, megabats have longer snouts, larger eye sockets and smaller ears, giving them a more dog-like appearance, which is the source of their nickname of "flying foxes". Among microbats, longer snouts are associated with nectar-feeding. while vampire bats have reduced snouts to accommodate large incisors and canines.
Nothomyrmecia
"Nothomyrmecia macrops" is widely regarded as the most plesiomorphic living ant and, as such, has aroused considerable interest among the entomological community. Following its rediscovery it was the subject of a prolonged and rigorous series of studies involving Australian, American and European ant specialists and it soon became one of the most studied ant species on the planet. "Nothomyrmecia" can be cultured with ease, and could potentially prove a useful subject for research into learning in insects as well as the physiology of nocturnal vision. Since its chance discovery at Poochera, the town has become of international interest to myrmecologists, and it is possibly the only town in the world with ant-based tourism. Promoting it as a tourist attraction, "Nothomyrmecia" has been adopted as the emblem of the Poochera community. Pictures of the ant have been stencilled onto the pavements, and a large sculpture of "Nothomyrmecia" has been erected in the town.
Honeypot ant
In "Camponotus inflatus" in Australia, repletes formed 49% (516 ants) of a colony of 1063 ants, and 46% (1835 ants) of a colony of 4019 ants. The smaller colony contained six wingless queens. The larger colony had 66 chambers containing repletes, with a maximum of 191 repletes in a chamber. The largest replete was 15 millimetres long and had a mass of 1.4 grams. The nest had a maximum depth of 1.7 metres, and tunnels stretched 2.4 metres from the nest entrance. The workers went out foraging during daylight to collect nectar from "Mulga" nectaries, and meat from the carcass of a "Tiliqua" blue-tonged lizard.
Goliathus
The Goliath beetles (named after the biblical giant Goliath) are any of the five species in the genus Goliathus. Goliath beetles are among the largest insects on Earth, if measured in terms of size, bulk and weight. They are members of subfamily Cetoniinae, within the family Scarabaeidae. Goliath beetles can be found in many of Africa's tropical forests, where they feed primarily on tree sap and fruit. Little appears to be known of the larval cycle in the wild, but in captivity, "Goliathus" beetles have been successfully reared from egg to adult using protein-rich foods such as commercial cat and dog food. Goliath beetles measure from for males and for females, as adults, and can reach weights of up to in the larval stage, though the adults are only about half this weight. The females range from a dark brown to silky white, but the males are normally brown/white/black or black/white.
Myrmecia (ant)
Each "Myrmecia" species has different venom components, so people who are allergic to ants are advised to stay away from "Myrmecia", especially from species they have never encountered before. Based on five species, the median lethal dose (LD) is 0.18–0.35 mg/kg, making it among the most toxic venoms in the insect world. The toxicity of the venom may have evolved due to the intense predation by animals and birds during the day, since "Myrmecia" is primarily diurnal. In Tasmania, 2–3% of the human population is allergic to "M. pilosula" venom. In comparison, only 1.6% people are allergic to the venom of the western honeybee ("Apis mellifera"), and 0.6% to the venom of the European wasp ("Vespula germanica"). In a 2011 Australian ant-venom allergy study, the objective of which was to determine what native Australian ants were associated with ant sting anaphylaxis, 265 of the 376 participants in the study reacted to the sting of several "Myrmecia" species. Of these, the majority of patients (176) reacted to "M. pilosula" venom and to those of several other species. In Perth, "M. gratiosa" was responsible for most cases of anaphylaxis due to ant stings, while "M nigriscapa" and "M. ludlowi" were responsible for two cases. The green-head ant ("Rhytidoponera metallica") was the only ant other than "Myrmecia" species to cause anaphylaxis in patients. Dogs are also at risk of death from "Myrmecia" ants; renal failure has been recorded in dogs experiencing mass envenomation, and one dog was euthanised due to its deteriorating health despite treatment. Sensitivity is persistent for many years. Pilosulin 3 has been identified as a major allergen in "M. pilosula" venom, while pilosulin 1 and pilosulin 4 are minor allergens.
Electric ant
The electric ant ("Wasmannia auropunctata"), also known as the little fire ant, is a small (approx 1.5 mm long), light to golden brown (ginger) social ant native to Central and South America, now spread to parts of Africa (including Gabon and Cameroon), North America, Puerto Rico, Israel, Cuba, and six Pacific Island groups (including the Galápagos Islands, Hawaii, New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands) plus north-eastern Australia (Cairns).
Myrmecia nigriceps
Myrmecia nigriceps, also known as the black-headed bull ant, is a species of ant endemic to Australia. A member of the genus "Myrmecia" in the subfamily Myrmeciinae, it was first described by Austrian entomologist Gustav Mayr in 1862. These ants are large, varying from in length. However, colonies contain workers that are much smaller, usually half the size of normal workers. The queens are the largest while the males are the smallest, which can be easily identified due to their small mandibles.
Giant muntjac
The giant muntjac, sometimes referred to as the large-antlered muntjac ("Muntiacus vuquangensis"), is a species of muntjac deer. It is the largest muntjac species and was discovered in 1994 in Vũ Quang, Hà Tĩnh Province of Vietnam and in central Laos. During inundation of the Nakai Reservoir in Khammouane Province of Laos for the Nam Theun 2 Multi-Purpose Project, 38 giant muntjac were captured, studied, and released into the adjacent Nakai-Nam Theun National Protected Area. Subsequent radio-tracking of a sample of these animals showed the relocation was successful. The species is also located in parts of eastern Cambodia, as well as the Trường Sơn Mountains.
Hystrichopsylla schefferi
Hystrichopsylla schefferi, also known as the mountain beaver flea and giant mountain beaver flea, is a parasitic holarctic insect belonging to the order Siphonaptera, the "siphon-wingless" (fleas). The fully grown adult can measure as much as in length, and it is the largest living flea in the world. It is native to the American Northwest. Though most members of the genus "Hystrichopsylla" are not strongly associated with any particular host animal and will generally parasitize insectivores and rodents, "H. schefferi" is monoxenously associated with the mountain beaver with which its range is coterminous. The fleas of the family Hystrichopsyllidae, along with the family Pulicidae, are the oldest of fleas in evolutionary history. "H. schefferi" can be distinguished from the very similar and closely related species "Hystrichopsylla gigas dippiei" by the number of spines in the pronotal comb, as "H. g. dippiei" has 36 and "H. schefferi" has 46.
Outline of ants
Ants – social insects with elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants are of the family Formicidae and evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago, diversifying after the rise of flowering plants. More than 12,500 out of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified.
Ant
Longhorn beetle
The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae; also known as long-horned or longhorn beetles or longicorns) are a cosmopolitan family of beetles, typically characterized by extremely long antennae, which are often as long as or longer than the beetle's body. In various members of the family, however, the antennae are quite short (e.g., "Neandra brunnea") and such species can be difficult to distinguish from related beetle families such as the Chrysomelidae. The family is large, with over 26,000 species described, slightly more than half from the Eastern Hemisphere. Several are serious pests. The larvae, called roundheaded borers, bore into wood, where they can cause extensive damage to either living trees or untreated lumber (or, occasionally, to wood in buildings; the old-house borer, "Hylotrupes bajulus", is a particular problem indoors). A number of species mimic ants, bees, and wasps, though a majority of species are cryptically colored. The rare titan beetle ("Titanus giganteus") from northeastern South America is often considered the largest (though not the heaviest, and not the longest including legs) insect, with a maximum known body length of just over .
The scientific name of this beetle family goes back to a figure from Greek mythology: after an argument with nymphs, the shepherd Cerambus was transformed into a large beetle with horns.
Task allocation and partitioning of social insects
In many ants and termites, on the other hand, workers vary in both size and bodily proportions, which have a bimodal distribution. This is present in approximately one in six ant genera. In most of these there are two developmentally distinct pathways, or castes, into which workers can develop. Typically members of the smaller caste are called minors and members of the larger caste are called majors or soldiers. There is often variation in size within each caste. The term soldiers may be apt, as in "Cephalotes", but in many species members of the larger caste act primarily as foragers or food processors. In a few ant species, such as certain "Pheidole" species, there is a third caste, called supersoldiers.
List of ant subfamilies
Ants (family Formicidae in the order Hymenoptera) are the most species-rich of all social insects, with more than 12,000 described species and many others awaiting description. Formicidae is divided into 21 subfamilies, of which 17 contain extant taxa, while four are exclusively fossil. Ants have come to occupy virtually all major terrestrial habitats, with the exception of tundra and cold ever-wet forests. They display a wide range of social behaviors, foraging habits and associations with other organisms, which has generated scientific and public interest.
Iridomyrmex
These ants are known to be an ecologically dominant and important group of ants, but they are sometimes regarded as pests because they disturb soil and enter human houses. Farmers in rural Australia place animal carcasses on meat ant ("I. purpureus") mounds as a method of disposing of them; meat ants will consume the carcass and reduce it to bones in a matter of weeks. Meat ants also engage in ritualised fighting which helps prevent casualties and solve territorial disputes between neighbouring colonies. The largest members of this genus are those of the "I. purpureus" species group, measuring .
Eastern diamondback rattlesnake
Crotalus adamanteus, commonly called the eastern diamondback rattlesnake, among other names, is a species of venomous pit viper in the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to the southeastern United States. It is the heaviest, though not the longest, venomous snake in the Americas and the largest rattlesnake. No subspecies are recognized.
Ochetellus
Ochetellus is a genus of ants first described by Steve Shattuck in 1992. He placed it in the subfamily Dolichoderinae of the family Formicidae. The ants in this genus are small and black in colour; workers measure in length, the males at around are smaller, and the queens are the largest, reaching . There are seven described species and three described subspecies that mostly live in Australia in a wide variety of habitats, but some species are found in Asia. One species, "Ochetellus glaber", has been introduced into New Zealand and the United States.
Ochetellus
"Ochtellus" is a genus of small black ants; each species vary in size, with workers ranging from in length and males are smaller at . The largest ants in the genus are the queens; "Ochetellus sororis" queens measure up to . While these ants were formerly placed in the genus "Iridomyrmex", there are several features that makes these ants distinct; the compound eyes are differently positioned on the head, and the arrangement of the clypeal margin and mesosoma can also distinguish between the two genera. "Ochetellus" looks similar to "Dolichoderus" species, but they are relatively smaller and the petiole is narrow and dorsolaterally expanded. The head is also thinner than most Dolichoderinae ants.
Black-headed sugar ant
Ants of this species are relatively large; it is a polymorphic species with two castes of workers, known as minor workers and major workers (soldiers). Workers and soldiers range in sizes from . Males measure and queens are the largest, measuring . Workers and soldiers of the subspecies "Camponotus nigriceps lividipes" only grow to . Workers' gasters and mesosomi can vary in colour; the gaster can be black, brown or yellowish-brown while the mesosoma is either reddish-brown or yellow. Workers are mostly brown with light patches noticeable on the head and mesosoma, and their clypei and mandibles are even darker; the legs are either black or brown.
Giant eland
The giant eland ("Taurotragus derbianus"), also known as the Lord Derby eland, is an open-forest and savanna antelope. A species of the family Bovidae and genus "Taurotragus", it was described in 1847 by John Edward Gray. The giant eland is the largest species of antelope, with a body length ranging from . There are two subspecies: "T. d. derbianus" and "T. d. gigas".
Aenictus
Aenictus is a large army ant genus distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics. It contains about 181 species, making it one of the larger ant genera of the world.
Lasius fuliginosus
Lasius fuliginosus, also known as the jet ant or jet black ant, is a species of ant in the subfamily Formicinae. Workers have a black shiny colour and a length of about 4–6 mm, females are larger (6–6.5 mm) and small males reach a length of 4.5–5 mm). The head is heart-shaped.
List of largest insects
Insects, which are a type of arthropod, are easily the most numerous group of multicellular organisms on the planet, with about a million species identified so far. The title of heaviest insect in the world has many rivals, the most frequently crowned of which is the larval stage of the goliath beetle, "Goliathus goliatus", the top size of which is at least and . The largest confirmed weight of an adult insect is for a giant weta, "Deinacrida heteracantha", although it is likely one of the elephant beetles, "Megasoma elephas" and "Megasoma actaeon", or goliath beetles, both of which can commonly exceed and , can reach a higher weight.
Green-head ant
The green-head ant ("Rhytidoponera metallica"), also known as the green ant or metallic pony ant, is a species of ant that is endemic to Australia. It was described by British entomologist Frederick Smith in 1858 as a member of the genus "Rhytidoponera" in the subfamily Ectatomminae. These ants measure between . The queens and workers look similar, differing only in size, with the males being the smallest. They are well known for their distinctive metallic appearance, which varies from green to purple or even reddish-violet. Among the most widespread of all insects in Australia, green-head ants are found in almost every Australian state, but are absent in Tasmania. They have also been introduced in New Zealand, where several populations have been established.
Elongate twig ant
The elongated twig ant, or "Pseudomyrmex gracilis", is a large, slender species native to Mexico and arid parts of the US. The workers are about in length and generally wasp-like in appearance and style of movement. Worker ants are bi-colored; the head and gaster are dark, while the antennae, mouthparts, thorax and legs are dull orange with dark shading. They often may be seen on vegetation, foraging for live insects or collecting honeydew from sap-sucking insects.
List of ants of Australia
Australia is home to two-thirds of the worlds subfamilies, one-third of known genera, 15% of all described species, and some genera found in Australia can be found nowhere else or they are found in neighboring countries instead. Australia's ant diversity is smaller than Central America, South America and Southeast Asia, it has roughly the same number of genera and species as the Orient and surpasses the amount of ants known in Europe, North America, Northern Asia and Northern Africa. The state of Queensland has the greatest diversity of ants in the world, with more than 1,400 species known within its borders. The total amount of species known in Australia could possibly be over 6,500, with only one in five ants being described.
Ants of medical importance
The fire ants are a group of 20 species of New World ants which are reputed after their aggressiveness and painful stings. Four species are considered of relevant medical importance: "Solenopsis invicta", "Solenopsis richteri", "Solenopsis geminata", and "Solenopsis saevissima". The Red Imported Fire Ant "S. invicta" is the best studied among them, and reputed as the most dangerous species. "S. invicta" is expanding in range around the world and thus it is most often involved in medical emergencies. A person typically encounters problems with fire ants by inadvertently stepping onto one of their mounds, which causes the ants to swarm up the person's legs, attacking "en masse". The ants quickly respond to alarm pheromones that are released by the first disturbed ants, causing a swarm followed by aggressive stinging. Fire ant stings are typically accompanied by burning and urticaria, followed by a welt formation. The welts often develop into white pustules that should not be scratched, as to avoid secondary infections. A few individuals are sensitive to the venom, and can, on rare occasions, die of anaphylaxis. In a survey of 29,300 physicians in the United States of America (in 1989), reports of 83 fatalities were obtained. Some fire ant attacks on humans confined to beds have also been noted; in some locations, fire ants can be a particular threat in medical facilities since they can have nesting colonies inside human habitations.
Ants of medical importance
The pharaoh ant, "Monomorium pharaonis" is found around the world. It is not known for its sting, but has been involved in respiratory allergies
Bulldog ants, from the genus "Myrmecia", are native to Australia, with all but one of the ninety or so species found on the continent. Belonging to the ant subfamily Myrmeciinae, they are among the most primitive extant ants in the world. This species is known to cause some fatalities in sensitive humans.
Bullet ants, from the genus "Paraponera", are found from Nicaragua southward to the Amazon Basin. They are and close relatives of the genus "Dinoponera", which are New World ponerines known for their painful stings.
Driver ants, from the genus "Dorylus", are found in the Old World, especially West Africa and the Congo Basin. Unlike the army ants of the New World, Old World army ants have a functional sting but rarely use it, preferring their razor-sharp, falcate mandibles for defense instead. "Dorylus" spp. colonies also reach larger sizes than "Eciton".
Ant colony
A supercolony occurs when many ant colonies over a large area unite. They still continue to recognize genetic differences in order to mate, but the different colonies within the super colony avoid aggression. Until 2000, the largest known ant supercolony was on the Ishikari coast of Hokkaidō, Japan. The colony was estimated to contain 306 million worker ants and one million queen ants living in 45,000 nests interconnected by underground passages over an area of . In 2000, an enormous supercolony of Argentine ants was found in Southern Europe (report published in 2002). Of 33 ant populations tested along the stretch along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts in Southern Europe, 30 belonged to one supercolony with estimated millions of nests and billions of workers, interspersed with three populations of another supercolony. The researchers claim that this case of unicoloniality cannot be explained by loss of their genetic diversity due to the genetic bottleneck of the imported ants. In 2009, it was demonstrated that the largest Japanese, Californian and European Argentine ant supercolonies were in fact part of a single global "megacolony". This intercontinental megacolony represents the most populous recorded animal society on earth, other than humans. Although a good story, this has proven to be incorrect and no ant colony could reach such an enormous size without the 1 million queen ants collapsing their tiny ant economy due to fighting for the power of the ultimate queen.
Pseudomyrmex ferruginea
The acacia ant (Pseudomyrmex ferruginea) is a species of ant of the genus "Pseudomyrmex". These arboreal, wasp-like ants have an orange-brown body around 3 mm in length and very large eyes. The acacia ant is best known and named for living in symbiosis with the bullhorn acacia ("Acacia cornigera") throughout Central America.
Dorylus molestus
Males or drones of all dorylus species are so called "sausage flies" and are among the largest ant morphs. Some "Dorylus molestus" queen are the largest known extant ants. Queens typically grow to but can reach .
Electric ant
The ant is described as follows:
".."Wasmannia auropunctata" workers are monomorphic, which means they display no physical differentiation... The ants are typically small to medium-sized, with the workers ranging from 1-2mm ... [It] is light to golden brown in color. The gaster is often darker. The pedicel, between the thorax and gaster, has two segments; the petiole and postpetiole. The petiole is "hatchet-like", with a node that is almost rectangular in profile and higher than the postpetiole. The antennae have 11 segments, with the last two segments greatly enlarged into a distinct club. The antennal scape (the first segment) is received into a distinct groove (scrobe) that extends almost to the posterior border of the head. The thorax has long and sharp epinotal spines. The body is sparsely covered with long, erect hairs. This species is well-known for a painful sting, seemingly out of proportion to its size."
Largest organisms
The giant squid ("Architeuthis dux") was previously thought to be the largest squid, and while it is less massive and has a smaller mantle than the colossal squid, it may exceed the colossal squid in overall length including tentacles. One giant squid specimen that washed ashore in 1878 in Newfoundland reportedly measured in total length (from the tip of the mantle to the end of the long tentacles), head and body length , in diameter at the thickest part of mantle, and weighed about . This specimen is still often cited as the largest invertebrate that has ever been examined. However, no animals approaching this size have been scientifically documented and, according to giant squid expert Steve O'Shea, such lengths were likely achieved by greatly stretching the two tentacles like elastic bands.
Solórzano's velvet worm ("Peripatus solorzanoi") is the largest velvet worm known. An adult female was recorded to have a body length of 22 cm (approximately 8.7 in).
Myrmecia gulosa
As one of the largest of ant species, adult individuals have been observed to be as long as 15 mm to 30 mm in body length. The head and thorax are typically coloured red-brown; the rear half of the abdomen is black and the mandibles brown-yellow. Adults characteristically possess the long, powerful serrated mandibles and a venom-laced sting capable of causing severe pain for a couple of days. Unlike most other ant species, red bull ants lack the ability of chemical senses; however, this is compensated by their extremely keen vision, with which they can spot and respond to intruders two metres away.
Indian flying fox
The Indian flying fox ("Pteropus giganteus"), also known as the greater Indian fruit bat, is a species of flying fox found in South Asia. It is one of the largest bats in the world. It is of interest as a disease vector, as it is capable of transmitting several viruses to humans. It is nocturnal and feeds mainly on ripe fruits, such as mangoes and bananas, and nectar. This species is often regarded as vermin due to its destructive tendencies towards fruit farms, but the benefits of its pollination and seed propagation often outweigh the impacts of its fruit consumption.
Amethystine python
The amethystine python ("Morelia amethistina"), also known as the scrub python or sanca permata locally, is a nonvenomous species of snake found in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Australia. Popular among reptile enthusiasts, and noted for its coloration and size, it is one of the six largest snakes in the world, as measured either by length or weight, and is the largest native snake in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Currently, four subspecies of the nominate race, "M. a. amethystina", are generally recognized. The Mollucan Islands, including Halmahera, Ternate, and Tidore, are home to "M. a. tracyei". The Tanimbar Islands are home to a smaller subspecies, "M. a. nauta". On the island of Seram, "M. a. clastolepis" can be found, and mainland PNG (including the Indonesian western half, once called Irian Jaya—now West Papua) and many of its near offshore islands, "M. a. amethystina" is quite common. In Australia, "M. a. kinghorni" is represented.
Pheidole megacephala
Pheidole megacephala is a species of ant in the family Formicidae. It is commonly known as the big-headed ant in the USA and the coastal brown ant in Australia. It is a very successful invasive species and is considered a danger to native ants in Australia and other places. It has been nominated as one of the hundred "World's worst" invaders.
Ant
Ants range in size from , the largest species being the fossil "Titanomyrma giganteum", the queen of which was long with a wingspan of . Ants vary in colour; most ants are red or black, but a few species are green and some tropical species have a metallic lustre. More than 12,000 species are currently known (with upper estimates of the potential existence of about 22,000) (see the article List of ant genera), with the greatest diversity in the tropics. Taxonomic studies continue to resolve the classification and systematics of ants. Online databases of ant species, including AntBase and the Hymenoptera Name Server, help to keep track of the known and newly described species. The relative ease with which ants may be sampled and studied in ecosystems has made them useful as indicator species in biodiversity studies.
Monomorium
Monomorium is a genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. As of 2013 it contains about 396 species. It is distributed around the world, with many species native to the Old World tropics. It is considered to be "one of the more important groups of ants," considering its widespread distribution, its diversity, and its variety of morphological and biological characteristics. It also includes several familiar pest species, such as the pharaoh ant ("M. pharaonis") and the flower ant ("M. floricola").
List of ants of Australia
The subfamily Myrmicinae is the largest in Australia in terms of both number of genera and species, as well as the subfamily Formicinae, which is also one of the most common subfamily of ants to be encountered. The subfamily Myrmeciinae consists of two genera which are only found in Australia, with the exception of a single species native to New Caledonia. Only a single species of the subfamily Leptanillinae is known from Australia.References:
Ant
Ants attack and defend themselves by biting and, in many species, by stinging, often injecting or spraying chemicals, such as formic acid in the case of formicine ants, alkaloids and piperidines in fire ants, and a variety of protein components in other ants. Bullet ants ("Paraponera"), located in Central and South America, are considered to have the most painful sting of any insect, although it is usually not fatal to humans. This sting is given the highest rating on the Schmidt Sting Pain Index.
Spectral bat
The spectral bat ("Vampyrum spectrum"), also called the great false vampire bat or Linnaeus's false vampire bat, is a large, carnivorous leaf-nosed bat found in Mexico, Central America, and South America.
It is the only member of the genus Vampyrum; its closest living relative is the big-eared woolly bat.
It is the largest bat species in the New World, as well as the largest carnivorous bat: its wingspan is .
It has a robust skull and teeth, with which it delivers a powerful bite to kill its prey.
Birds are frequent prey items, though it may also consume rodents, insects, and other bats.
Tatuidris
Tatuidris, or armadillo ant, is a rare genus of ants consisting of a single species, Tatuidris tatusia. The ants are small in size and inhabit the leaf litter of Neotropical forests in Central and South America, from Mexico to Brazil. Workers are ferruginous-colored to dark red and present a distinctive morphology, consisting of a shield-like head with a broad vertex, ventrally-turned heavy mandibles which do not overlap at full closure, and unique among ants – an antenna socket apparatus sitting upside-down. Little is known about the biology of the ants, but they are likely nocturnal and specialist predators.
African rock python
Africa's largest snake and one of the six largest snake species in the world (along with the green anaconda, reticulated python, Burmese python, Indian python, and amethystine python), specimens may approach or exceed . The southern subspecies is generally smaller than its northern relative. The snake is found in a variety of habitats, from forests to near deserts, although usually near sources of water. The snake becomes dormant during the dry season. The African rock python kills its prey by constriction and often eats animals up to the size of antelope, occasionally even crocodiles. The snake reproduces by egg-laying. Unlike most snakes, the female protects her nest and sometimes even her hatchlings.
Lasius interjectus
Lasius interjectus, or larger yellow ant, is a species of ant belonging to the genus "Lasius", and was formerly apart of the genus (now a subgenus) "Acanthomyops". Described in 1866 by Mayr, the species is native to the United States.
Myrmecia nigrocincta
Myrmecia nigrocincta, commonly known as the jumper ant or jumping jack, is an ant of the genus "Myrmecia". The species was first described by Frederick Smith in 1858. Colonies of this ant are abundant in eastern Australia. Ants of this species are known for their ability to jump up to 10 centimetres, and they also have a powerful, venomous sting. Rather than foraging on the ground, "M. nigrocincta" prefer to forage in trees where they are known to pollinate certain flowers.
List of largest insects
Giant shield mantids of the genus "Rhombodera" can reach lengths of nearly and are more robust than comparably sized mantids of other genera ("Tenodera", "Hierodula", "Sphodromantis" and "Plistospilota".) Some larger species have been known to capture and consume frogs, lizards, mice, small birds, and even snakes. Giant Stick Mantids of the genus "Toxodera" and "Solygia" can reach lengths of 20 cm, but are more gracile in build than other large mantids.
Myrmecia nigriceps
"M. nigriceps" is a member of the "M. gulosa" species group, which is the largest species group of the nine groups described. The specific name, "nigriceps", is a combination of the Latin words "niger", meaning "black", and "caput", meaning "head". This references the distinctive black head of the ant. With this said, "M. nigriceps" is commonly known as the black-headed bull ant.
List of ant genera
The subfamily Formicinae represents 51 extant genera and 30 fossil genera that are globally distributed. Established by French zoologist Pierre André Latreille in 1809, the subfamily has more than 3,000 described species, placing it as the second largest ant subfamily. Despite this, the hyperdiverse genus "Camponotus" is the most diverse group of ants in the world, with more than 1,100 species described.