But the American tropics also has weaver ants. Several species, in fact.
Wikipedia’s muddled definition aside, weavers are tree-dwelling ants that bind living leaves together with larval silk. These structures remain cool and humid, a perfect refuge from the tropical heat. As weaver ants are defined by behavior, and since the behavior has evolved repeatedly among ants, this is not a taxonomic grouping but a functional one.
During our recent Ecuador excursion we encountered one of the lesser-known weavers. Here’s a nest:
This species is in the genus Camponotus, a group best known for the pesty carpenter ants.
When the nest is disturbed, guards rush out with their gasters facing forward and ready to shoot a stream of formic acid at the intruder. This less-than-endearing habit makes them unpleasant photographic subjects. I had to clean acid off my lenses after taking these shots.
I bring all this up as a suggestion for aspiring myrmecologists. Weaving behavior has evolved enough times to form a replicated natural experiment. Because there are so many separate inventions of weaving (at least 5 or 6), statistical techniques can be used to infer the characteristics that predispose lineages to evolving a weaving lifestyle. If you are looking for a good ant evolution project, say, the sort of work one might do for a Ph.D. dissertation, this topic is ripe for the picking.
(top, bottom) Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens on a Canon EOS 7D
ISO 200, f/13-14, 1/200 sec exposure, indirect strobe
(middle)Tamron 11-18mm wide-angle zoom on a Canon EOS 7D
ISO 200, f/9, 1/250 sec, hand-held fill flash.