Dorylini
Encyclopedia
Most Old World
army ant
s belong to the tribe Dorylini. This tribe was formerly classified as the subfamily Dorylinae, and is composed of two genera, one of which (Aenictus
) was formerly placed in its own tribe, Aenictini. The other genus, Dorylus
, contains the aggressive "driver ants", of which there are some 70 species known.
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
army ant
Army ant
The name army ant is applied to over 200 ant species, in different lineages, due to their aggressive predatory foraging groups, known as "raids", in which huge numbers of ants forage simultaneously over a certain area, attacking prey en masse.Another shared feature is that, unlike most ant...
s belong to the tribe Dorylini. This tribe was formerly classified as the subfamily Dorylinae, and is composed of two genera, one of which (Aenictus
Aenictus
The army ant genus Aenictus is an enigmatic group known from Africa, tropical Asia, and Queensland. There are some 100 species presently recognized, though many other names are applied at the rank of subspecies...
) was formerly placed in its own tribe, Aenictini. The other genus, Dorylus
Dorylus
The army ant genus Dorylus, also known as driver ants, safari ants, or siafu, is found primarily in central and east Africa, although the range also extends to tropical Asia. The term siafu is a loanword from Swahili, and is one of numerous similar words from regional Bantu languages used by...
, contains the aggressive "driver ants", of which there are some 70 species known.