Giant Ponerine Ant vs Giant African Antlion

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Giant Ponerine Ant Giant African Antlion
Scientific Name Pachycondyla crassinoda Palpares speciosus
Order Hymenoptera Neuroptera
Family Formicidae Myrmeleontidae
Size 14-20 mm 100-130 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Deserts & Drylands
Diet Predators Predators
Regions West Africa, Central Africa Southern Africa, East Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Giant Ponerine Ant

A very large black predatory ant of African tropical forests with powerful mandibles and a painful sting. Solitary foragers hunt large prey items on the forest floor.

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Did You Know?

Workers hunt alone and can subdue prey many times their own size using their potent sting.

Giant African Antlion

A massive African antlion with strikingly marked black-and-yellow wings. One of the largest neuropteran insects in the world.

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Did You Know?

It is among the largest living neuropterans, with some individuals exceeding 13 cm in wingspan.