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Project Noah Nature School
Oecophylla smaragdina
Weaver ants are best known for their remarkable nest construction. Using precise coordination, the weaver ants create very strong ant chains by linking legs to pull and bend leaves into desired tent like positions. The ants then use their own larvae to secrete a silk that is used to stitch leaves together to create a nest. They may have several nests dominating a few trees at once. Oecophylla smaragdina workers have a vice like grip and tremendous strength. A worker has been recorded to support 100 times its own weight whilst standing upside down on glass.
Weaver ants tearing apart a leaf beetle.
Spotted on May 12, 2012
Submitted on May 15, 2012
1 Comment
Interesting spotting and description.