A soldier Eciton burchellii army ant. The ice-tong shaped mandibles defend the colony against vertebrate predators. Captive colony at the California Academy of Sciences - Alex Wild Photography - Insect Photography

Eciton

is a large, conspicuous army ant endemic to the neotropics. Most species have a soldier caste with mandibles modified into ice-tong shaped hooks for defense against vertebrates. One rain forest species, E. burchellii, is known for its expansive epigaeic swarm raids.

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A raiding party of Eciton burchellii army ants streams home towards the bivuoac while a soldier stands guard.

Maquipucuna Reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador

Eciton burchellii army ant soldier. The hooked mandibles are used to protect army ant colonies against vertebrate predators.

Maquipucuna Reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador

An Eciton burchellii statary bivouac protrudes from a rotting stump.

Maquipucuna reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador

An Eciton burchellii soldier brandishes her hooked mandibles. These unwieldy weapons are designed to grab vertebrate predators and deter them from stealing the army ants' own catch.

Jatun Sacha reserve, Napo, Ecuador

A soldier Eciton burchellii army ant. The ice-tong shaped mandibles defend the colony against vertebrate predators.

Captive colony at the California Academy of Sciences

Eciton burchellii army ants can form living bridges with their bodies.

Captive colony at the California Academy of Sciences

Colonies of the giant neotropical army ant Eciton burchelli have workers of many different sizes specialized for different tasks. The large, light-colored ant at center is a soldier that performs defensive functions, the smaller ants are minor workers that specialize in prey capture.

Captive colony at the California Academy of Sciences

A soldier Eciton burchellii army ant. The ice-tong shaped mandibles defend the colony against vertebrate predators.

Captive colony at the California Academy of Sciences

Original size: 2100x1632 |

Current: 772x600 |

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Keywords: major soldier ants carnivore insects carnivores caste hymenoptera predators eciton ecitoninae army ants army ant formicidae eciton burchelli tropical insects major workers

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Eciton

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