Jump to content

Colobopsis explodens

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 81.110.228.94 (talk) at 02:10, 17 May 2022. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Colobopsis explodens
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Hymenoptera
Family:
Formicidae
Subfamily:
Formicinae
Genus:
Colobopsis
Species:
C. explodens
Binomial name
Colobopsis explodens
Laciny & Zettel 2018[1]

Colobopsis explodens (suicidal attack ants) is a species of ant which is found in Southeast Asia. It is noted for a rare combat mechanism of workers exploding in self-defense, smothering the enemy with toxic and often deadly secretion.[1]

Defenses

Scheme of a worker ant's anatomy.
Colobopsis explodens pupa.

The species was formerly known informally as "yellow goo", named after the brightly colored gunk produced by its exploding worker ants.[2]

Territory

Their colonies can contain thousands of individual ants and inhabit the leafy canopies of trees that stand as tall as 197 feet (60 meters) and cover an area of at least 26,900 square feet (2,500 square meters).[2]

Gallery

  • Head of Colobopsis explodens worker.
    Head of Colobopsis explodens worker.
  • Colobopsis explodens worker.
    Colobopsis explodens worker.
  • Colobopsis explodens worker. (a) vertex of major worker (paratype), (b) gastral tergite I, (c) gastral tergite IV of minor worker (holotype), (d) labels of holotype, minor worker.
    Colobopsis explodens worker. (a) vertex of major worker (paratype), (b) gastral tergite I, (c) gastral tergite IV of minor worker (holotype), (d) labels of holotype, minor worker.
  • Colobopsis explodens soldier. (a) full-face view, (b) frontal shield (c) lateral view, (d) dorsal view.
    Colobopsis explodens soldier. (a) full-face view, (b) frontal shield (c) lateral view, (d) dorsal view.
  • Colobopsis explodens queen. (a) full-face view, (b) frontal shield (c) lateral view, (d) dorsal view, (e) forewing with indicated measurements 2r and 4RsM.
    Colobopsis explodens queen. (a) full-face view, (b) frontal shield (c) lateral view, (d) dorsal view, (e) forewing with indicated measurements 2r and 4RsM.
  • Colobopsis explodens male. (a) full-face view, (b) wings (c) lateral view, (d) dorsal view.
    Colobopsis explodens male. (a) full-face view, (b) wings (c) lateral view, (d) dorsal view.
  • Colobopsis explodens male reproductive system and genitals. (a) dorsal, (b) ventral (c) lateral view, (d) left penis valve, (e) right volsella and gonostylus.
    Colobopsis explodens male reproductive system and genitals. (a) dorsal, (b) ventral (c) lateral view, (d) left penis valve, (e) right volsella and gonostylus.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Laciny, A.; Zettel, H.; Kopchinskiy, A.; Pretzer, C.; Pal, A.; Salim, K.A.; Rahimi, M.J; Hoenigsberger, M.; Lim, L.; Jaitrong, W.; Druzhinina, IS (2018). "Colobopsis explodens sp. n., model species for studies on "exploding ants" (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), with biological notes and first illustrations of males of the Colobopsis cylindrica group". ZooKeys (751): 1–40. doi:10.3897/zookeys.751.22661. PMC 5919914. PMID 29706783.
  2. ^ a b Weisberger, Mindy; April 19, Senior Writer |; ET, 2018 02:07pm (19 April 2018). "Exploding Ants Kill Foes, and Themselves, with a Blast of Toxic Goo". Live Science. Retrieved 2019-02-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

External links


This Formicinae-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Colobopsis_explodens&oldid=1088268510"