Watch the Unfathomable Power of Army Ants as They Devour Everything in Their Path

Key Points:

• Army ants are not a single species, but rather a name that can be applied to hundreds of ant species that organize themselves and behave like a highly disciplined army.
• These ants are aggressive and predatory, known for launching “raids” where thousands of them span out and devour every moving creature they come across.
• Army ants are nomadic, moving during the day and forming nests at night during the nomadic phase, and feeding prey exclusively to the queen and next generation of eggs during the stationary phase.
• Unlike other ant species, army ants send out larger groups to overwhelm prey that has been located, consuming up to 500,000 prey animals every day and impacting local prey populations.

Some insects are awesome! Not because of their size, but because of what they can achieve when they work together. The army ant is one such insect. Even though there are millions of ants in this clip, the colony acts as one body. It is the ultimate in teamwork to accomplish important goals!

In the clip below, we get to see how the colony can search the whole jungle. Large teams of ants head out to look for food, spreading out wide and sweeping across the forest floor. Amazingly, these ants are almost completely blind and can only find prey when they touch it. They can detect movement which tells them that they have come across a living creature. So, if the creature can stay very still, they are safe. The slightest movement will end in disaster and as we see in the clip below it takes minutes for the stricken creature to be torn apart.

Watch the Incredible Clip Below

What Exactly Is an Army Ant?

An army ant is not a single species of ant. They can be found across several genera and in many parts of the world. It is the name that can be applied to hundreds of ant species and describes the way that they organize themselves and behave. They act like a highly disciplined army.

These ants are both aggressive and predatory. They are famous for launching “raids.” As we see in this clip, thousands of them span out and devour every moving creature they come across.

How Do Army Ants Differ to Other Ants?

These ants are different from other ants in that they are nomadic. They do not have a permanent nest and both have a “nomadic” and “stationary phase.” During the nomadic phase (which lasts around 15 days), the ants move during the day but form nests at night. During the stationary phase (which lasts between two and three weeks), the prey is fed exclusively to the queen, and the next generation of eggs hatch.

Also, most other ant species send out individual scouts to find food. In contrast, army ants send out a larger group that can immediately overwhelm prey that has been located. A colony can consume up to 500,000 prey animals every day. This can significantly impact the populations of local prey species when they are on the move.