Army Ant Species:
Researchers from Karnataka and Odisha have discovered two new species of army ants namely Aenictus chittoorensis and Aenictus lankamallensis in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh.
- Army ants are defined as a nomadic species of ants that lack a permanent nest.
- They belong to one of the subfamilies of ants called the Dorylinae.
- Army ants are highly aggressive predators found mainly in tropical ecosystems.
- Characteristics of Army Ant Species:
- They do not build permanent nests.
- They form temporary living structures known as ‘bivouacs’, made entirely from the bodies of worker ants
- They are social insects, form massive colonies that conduct coordinated raids, consuming insects and small animals in their path.
- They are distinguished by their large, sharp mandibles, stinging ability and heavy reliance on chemical pheromones to navigate and communicate.
- These ants are practically blind and rely on a pheromonal system with which they mark their paths and by which they follow paths taken by others.
- They have a single queen ant who lays all the eggs and female workers that tend the young and collect food for the colony.
- As keystone predators they play a critical role in regulating arthropod populations and shaping forest biodiversity by consuming large quantities of invertebrates on a daily basis.
