【9mm】Army Ant Specimen Paraponera Soldier Ant Eciton sp.

Scientific Name: Eciton cf. burchellii

Eciton burchellii (Burchell's army ant) is one of the most famous species of army ant found in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America. They are known for their large-scale, organized swarm raids, with their largest colonies reaching 1 to 2 million individuals.

The genus Eciton is a genus of ants in the family Formicidae and is a representative genus of army ants. They are distributed in the tropical regions of Central and South America, from Mexico to Argentina.

The most well-known species is Eciton burchellii. Another well-known species is Eciton hamatum. These two species are the most commonly observed and studied army ants in the New World because they form large foraging swarms on the ground during the day.

They have a life cycle that alternates between nomadic and stationary phases. The stationary phase lasts for about three weeks, during which they remain in the same location every night. They build nests with their own bodies, protecting the queen and eggs in the center. These temporary nests are called bivouacs. During the nomadic phase, the entire colony moves to a new location almost every night, migrating for about two consecutive weeks. During this period, the queen does not lay eggs.
When the stationary phase begins, the queen ant's body swells significantly, and she lays up to 80,000 eggs in less than a week. As the eggs mature, the frequency and intensity of swarming decrease. When the eggs hatch, the colony enters the nomadic phase due to increased activity from the larvae. The colony swarms much more intensely, moving to new locations almost every night. After two weeks, when the larvae begin to pupate, the colony enters the stationary phase again, and the cycle begins anew.
The swarms of Eciton burchellii and Eciton hamatum occur with such regularity and intensity that many insects and birds have developed complex relationships with these ants. For example, the genus Stylogaster (a type of fly) appears during army ant marches, and the females lay their eggs on crickets and cockroaches that are driven out by the ants.

We apologize, but we cannot offer a guarantee against downgrading due to transport. We will ship the pictured individuals from S?o Paulo, Alja, Brazil. My measurement was 9mm. They were collected in June 2023.