A long-dead carcass of a Polyrhachis militaris spiny ant gathers moss on a tree trunk. Kibale forest, Uganda - Alex Wild Photography - Insect Photography

Polyrhachis

is one of the largest and most diverse ant genera in the old world tropics. These attractive insects are closely related to the cosmopolitan genus Camponotus but are often ornamented with protective spines. Polyrhachis is found in many different habitat types and show a wide variety of nesting behaviors. Species in the subgenus Cyrtomyrma are weaver ants, nesting in folded leaves held together with larval silk. Others nest in the soil, in rotting wood, or arboreally. One Australian species even inhabits intertidal mud flats and can swim.