Weaver ant facts for kids

Oecophylla Temporal range: 47–0Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N Eocene - Recent
Nest construction by O. smaragdina major workers (Thailand)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Oecophyllini
Genus:	Oecophylla Smith, 1860
Species
†Oecophylla atavina †Oecophylla bartoniana †Oecophylla brischkei †Oecophylla crassinoda †Oecophylla eckfeldiana †Oecophylla grandimandibula †Oecophylla leakeyi Oecophylla longinoda †Oecophylla longiceps †Oecophylla megarche †Oecophylla obesa †Oecophylla perdita †Oecophylla praeclara †Oecophylla sicula Oecophylla smaragdina †Oecophylla superba †Oecophylla xiejiaheensis
Diversity
2 species
Oecophylla range map. Oecophylla longinoda in blue, Oecophylla smaragdina in red.

Weaver ants (also known as tailor ants or green ants; genus Oecophylla) are eusocial insects of the Formicidae family. They make their nests from living leaves, still attached to the tree. Instead of needles and thread, they use a rare type of silk, made in the mouths of their own grubs. The grubs are passed to and from between the leaves, to sew them together. Tailor ants may be found in the rainforest of Asia.

Colonies of weaver ants can be very large, containing more than half a million workers. The colonies can be made up of more than a hundred nests across several trees.

Images for kids

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  Liquid food exchange (trophallaxis) in O. smaragdina

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  Two O. smaragdina transferring food to their colony

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  Weaver ants collaborating to pull nest leaves together

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  Weaver ant nest on a mango tree

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  O. smaragdina tending scale insects

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  Leaf packets of larvae in Isaan typically sell for about 20 Thai Baht each (about 0.65 USD)