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Burchell’s Army Ant
Eciton burchellii
-2.15, -77.69
Field Notes
Description:
These army ants are famous for their huge, organized, extremely fierce columns that move through areas searching for prey. Their waists are two-segmented. The larger soldier ants, which can be over 10 mm long, are impressive with their prominent round cream-white heads, light reddish bodies and ice tong shaped mandibles. The common "worker" ants are around 6-8 mm long and have darker bodies than the solder ants.
Habitat:
These terrestrial ants are found in the tropical regions of Central and South America. Although they may occasionally be found in open spaces, their preference is for heavily forested areas. These pictured were crossing such an open area in front of our house in the Amazon rainforest of SE Ecuador. The single column was 10-20 cm wide and stretched out for 15-20 meters before losing itself in the vegetation.
Notes:
Eciton burchellii is a predator of arthropods and small vertebrates; many of which are much larger than a single army ant. Their strength comes from their ferocity and sheer numbers. One colony can have over half a million member. Now, where was I? Rats. I lost count. One, two, three, four . . . :-)
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