African Acacia Ant vs Australian Caterpillar Hunter

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute African Acacia Ant Australian Caterpillar Hunter
Scientific Name Pseudomyrmex sp. (African mimic: Tetraponera penzigi) Calosoma schayeri
Order Hymenoptera Coleoptera
Family Formicidae Carabidae
Size 3-6 mm 20-28 mm
Habitat Grasslands Grasslands
Diet Gall Makers Predators
Regions East Africa, Kenya, Tanzania Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

African Acacia Ant

A slender ant inhabiting the swollen galls of whistling thorn acacias in East Africa. Multiple ant species compete for occupation of these trees in a well-studied ecological system.

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Did You Know?

Four different ant species compete for whistling thorn acacias, with each species altering tree growth in different ways.

Australian Caterpillar Hunter

An Australian caterpillar hunter with dark metallic elytra. It is an important natural enemy of pasture and crop caterpillar pests.

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Did You Know?

It is attracted to lights at night and sometimes appears in large numbers around buildings during moth outbreaks.