African Stink Ant vs African Weaver Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute African Stink Ant African Weaver Ant
Scientific Name Paltothyreus tarsatus Oecophylla longinoda
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Formicidae Formicidae
Size 15-20 mm 5-10 mm
Habitat Indoors Forests
Diet Seed Feeders Herbivores
Regions Sub-Saharan Africa Tropical Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

African Stink Ant

A very large black ponerine ant that releases a foul-smelling secretion when disturbed. It is one of Africa's most conspicuous ground-dwelling ants with a powerful sting.

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Did You Know?

Its defensive odor is so pungent it can be smelled by humans from over a meter away.

African Weaver Ant

An arboreal ant that constructs leaf nests by weaving living leaves together using larval silk. Colonies can span multiple trees.

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Did You Know?

Workers form living chains by linking their bodies together to bridge gaps between leaves during nest construction.