Colobopsis explodens

Colobopsis explodens Laciny & Zettel 2018 is a species of ant which is found in Southeast Asia. It is noted for a rare combat mechanism of workers exploding in self-defense, smothering the enemy with toxic and often deadly secretion.[1]

Colobopsis explodens
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Hymenoptera
Family:
Formicidae
Subfamily:
Formicinae
Genus:
Colobopsis
Species:
C. explodens
Binomial name
Colobopsis explodens
Laciny & Zettel 2018[1]

Defenses
Scheme of a worker ant's anatomy.
Colobopsis explodens pupa.

The species was formally known as "yellow goo", named after the brightly colored gunk produced by its exploding worker ants.[2]

Territory

Their colonies can contain thousands of individual ants and inhabit the leafy canopies of trees that stand as tall as 197 feet (60 meters) and cover an area of at least 26,900 square feet (2,500 square meters).[2]

See also
  • Colobopsis saundersi – Species of Asian ant, also called the "Malaysian Exploding Ant" after their (suicide) attack.
  • Globitermes sulphureus – Species of Asian termite whose soldiers are known for their potentially suicidal attack.
Colobopsis saundersi
  • Head of Colobopsis explodens worker.
  • Colobopsis explodens worker.
  • Colobopsis explodens worker. (a) vertex of major worker (paratype), (b) gastral tergite I, (c) gastral tergite IV of minor worker (holotype), (d) labels of holotype, minor worker.
  • Colobopsis explodens soldier. (a) full-face view, (b) frontal shield (c) lateral view, (d) dorsal view.
  • Colobopsis explodens queen. (a) full-face view, (b) frontal shield (c) lateral view, (d) dorsal view, (e) forewing with indicated measurements 2r and 4RsM.
  • Colobopsis explodens male. (a) full-face view, (b) wings (c) lateral view, (d) dorsal view.
  • Colobopsis explodens male reproductive system and genitals. (a) dorsal, (b) ventral (c) lateral view, (d) left penis valve, (e) right volsella and gonostylus.

References
  1. Laciny, A.; Zettel, H.; Kopchinskiy, A.; Pretzer, C.; Pal, A.; Salim, K.A.; Rahimi, M.J; Hoenigsberger, M.; Lim, L.; Jaitrong, W.; Druzhinina, IS (2018). "Colobopsis explodens sp. n., model species for studies on "exploding ants" (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), with biological notes and first illustrations of males of the Colobopsis cylindrica group". ZooKeys (751): 1–40. doi:10.3897/zookeys.751.22661. PMC 5919914.
  2. Weisberger, Mindy; April 19, Senior Writer |; ET, 2018 02:07pm. "Exploding Ants Kill Foes, and Themselves, with a Blast of Toxic Goo". Live Science. Retrieved 2019-02-02.


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