Oecophylla smaragdina, the green tree ant of northern Australia, is a type of weaver ant. These ants make nests by tying living tree leaves together using silk produced by their larvae. The silk is visible in this nest as white patches between the leaves. Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia
Protected inside a translucent silken tent, Oecophylla longinoda weaver ants gather honeydew from mealybugs. The ants weave the tent using silk produced by their larvae. St. Lucia, KZN, South Africa
Winter leaf drop reveals a number of old Oecophylla smaragdina green tree ant nests. The ants have moved on, but the signs of their presence remain. Tree ants are polydomous, so the nests likely all belonged to a single colony. Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia
