Which genus of ant is known for creating massive raiding swarms in African savannas?

Which genus of ant is known for creating massive raiding swarms in African savannas?

• A. Driver ants (Dorylus).
• B. Camponotus.
• C. Solenopsis.
• D. Formica.

Answer: (A)

Massive raiding swarms in African savannas are a classic behavior of the African driver ants, the genus Dorylus. These ants are famous as army ants: their colonies are largely nomadic and break into enormous raiding columns of workers and soldiers that march across the ground in coordinated waves, scouring the terrain for prey. The raids can span long distances and involve millions of individuals moving as a single, fluid front, a striking ecological phenomenon on the savanna. In contrast, the other genera are associated with different habitats and lifestyles: Camponotus are primarily wood-nesting carpenter ants; Solenopsis includes fire ants and related species with various foraging patterns that aren’t the iconic savanna raiding columns; Formica are temperate-zone ants that don’t produce these African savanna–level raiding swarms.

Massive raiding swarms in African savannas are a classic behavior of the African driver ants, the genus Dorylus. These ants are famous as army ants: their colonies are largely nomadic and break into enormous raiding columns of workers and soldiers that march across the ground in coordinated waves, scouring the terrain for prey. The raids can span long distances and involve millions of individuals moving as a single, fluid front, a striking ecological phenomenon on the savanna. In contrast, the other genera are associated with different habitats and lifestyles: Camponotus are primarily wood-nesting carpenter ants; Solenopsis includes fire ants and related species with various foraging patterns that aren’t the iconic savanna raiding columns; Formica are temperate-zone ants that don’t produce these African savanna–level raiding swarms.