Formica archboldi

Formica archboldi is a species of ant in the family Formicidae.^[1] They are known for their abnormal behavior, which includes the collection and storage of Odontomachus (trap-jaw) ant skulls.

Formica archboldi
F. archboldi are the darker-colored ants in this image, the reddish-orange one in the center is a Polyergus lucidus queen
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Formicini
Genus:	Formica
Species:	F. archboldi
Binomial name
Formica archboldi Smith, 1944

Formica archboldi ants store these severed ant heads in their nests. The Formica archboldi have odors that are chemically similar to the odors of the trap-jaw ants, which might allow the Formica ants to disguise themselves among the trap-jaw ants. The Formica ants immobilize the trap-jaw ants by spraying formic acid, dragging them into the nest, and dismembering them.^[2][3]

Further reading

• Bolton, B. (3 May 2016). "Catalogue of the Ants of the World" (PDF). unpublished communication. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2019-07-02.