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yellow crazy ant
Not to be confused with the longhorn crazy ant (Paratrechina longicornis) or the Rasberry crazy ant (Nylanderia fulva).
| Yellow crazy ant | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Genus: | Anoplolepis |
| Species: | A. gracilipes |
| Binomial name | |
| Anoplolepis gracilipes <small>F. Smith, 1857</small> |
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| Synonyms | |
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Formica longipes, |
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The yellow crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes) is a species of ant, introduced accidentally to northern Australia and Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, that has caused ecological damage in both locations and is now found in the northern suburbs of Brisbane.
It is colloquially called "crazy" because of its erratic movements when disturbed. Its long legs and antennae make it one of the largest invasiveant species in the world.[1][2]
Like several other invasive ants, such as the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), the big-headed ant (Pheidole megacephala), the little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata), and the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile), this is a "tramp ant", a species that easily becomes established and dominant in new habitat due to traits such as aggression toward other ant species, little aggression toward members of its own species, efficient recruitment, and large colony size.[3] Also known as the long-legged ant or Maldive ant, it is on a list of "One Hundred of the World's Worst Invasive Species" formulated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).[4] It has invaded ecosystems from Hawaii to Seychelles, and formed supercolonies on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.
