Capture and retrieval of very large prey by workers of the African weaver ant, Oecophylla longinoda (Latreille 1802)

We report numerous cases of capture and/or retrieval of very large prey by workers of the African weaver ant, Oecophylla longinoda (Latreille 1802), observed in Cameroon, Nigeria and Zaire. We describe also the remains of vertebrate prey found in the nests of O. longinoda in South Cameroon. Retrieval of large prey was exclusively observed in workers of large, mature colonies of O. longinoda, occupying solitary trees or bushes or groups of trees. As a rule, large prey were transported whole. As demonstrated by field and laboratory tests, O. longinoda capture large insects most efficiently while hunting in the manner of army ants. The arolia on the feet of workers of O. longinoda are of crucial importance for the success of capture and transport of large prey. Previously, retrieval of vertebrate prey was reported only in the Asian weaver ant species, O. smaragdina (Fabricius 1775). Our observations provide an account of some of the most striking cases of individual and cooperative transport of large objects ever observed in ants.