last updated 1.Sep.2007

The army ants are an old lineage of specialized predators that are found in warmer regions around the world.  Army ants are defined by a combination of group-raiding behavior, a nomadic lifestyle, and wingless queens.  Although the term army ants connotes aggressive swarming insects, such behavior is only seen in a few of the more conspicuous species like Eciton burchelli.  Most army ants are largely subterranean and are specialized predators on the brood of other ants. 

The army ants pictured below are in the new world genera Eciton, Labidus, Neivamyrmex, and Nomamyrmex and in the old world genus Aenictus.  There are a number of other groups of ants, however, that are intermediate in behavior between true army ants and non-army ants.  These proto-army ants include Cerapachys, Sphinctomyrmex, Leptogenys, Pheidologeton, Onychomyrmex, and Leptanilloides.