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uncommon
Weaver Ant
Oecophylla smaragdina
- Habitat
- Tropical canopy across South and Southeast Asia, Australia
- Body length
- 10 mm
- Order
- Hymenoptera · Formicidae
Weird but real
Builds nests by literally sewing leaves together. Workers hold leaf edges in place while others carry larvae back and forth as living glue guns, larvae extruding silk on command.
Why it's cool
Used as biological pest control in citrus orchards for over 1,700 years. Possibly the oldest documented human-managed insect agriculture.
