African Weaver Ant vs Metallic Ectatomma

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute African Weaver Ant Metallic Ectatomma
Scientific Name Oecophylla longinoda Ectatomma ruidum
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Formicidae Formicidae
Size 5-10 mm 6-8 mm
Habitat Forests Farmland
Diet Herbivores Fruit Feeders
Regions Tropical Africa Mexico, Central America, Northern South America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

Metallic Ectatomma

A medium-sized ant with a metallic sheen common in neotropical lowland habitats. It forages individually on the ground and nests in small colonies in the soil.

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Did You Know?

Some workers specialize as thieves, stealing food from nestmates of other Ectatomma ruidum colonies rather than foraging.