Weaver ants, also called green ants, can be found in rainforests in Africa, Asia and Australia. These ants are known for their unique nest building. The weaver ant colonies live in trees, and the nests are constructed by the ants by weaving leaves together with larval silk. A colony can consist of up to 500 000 ants and hundreds of nests spread over several adjacent trees. The nests have different purposes, such as nurseries, retreats and outposts.
The ants have developed an efficient method for nest building and the silk (used as glue) is produced by partly grown ant larvae.
1. The ants pull leaf edges together, often using chains formed by several ants. After the leaves are pulled together, some ants stay to hold the leaves in position.
2. An ant carrying a larva arrives. By gently squeezing the larva, it starts to release silk. The ant waves the larva between the edges, and the silk binds the leaves together.
Source: Hölldobler, B. & Wilson, E. (1977). Weaver Ants. Scientific American, p. 146-154. (http://antwiki.org/wiki/images/9/93/Holldobler_B_and_Wilson_1977.pdf)
This video narrated by David Attenborough shows the construction of a nest.
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