{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "army-ant",
  "name": "Army Ant",
  "scientificName": "Eciton burchellii",
  "category": "Insect",
  "summary": "Army ants (Eciton burchellii) are nomadic Neotropical ants that form vast raiding swarms across rainforest floors from Mexico to Brazil and Peru. They lack permanent nests, instead making living bivouacs of linked workers, and eat arthropods flushed by the swarm. Listed Least Concern, they create a moving ecosystem of antbirds and butterflies.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Arthropoda",
    "class": "Insecta",
    "order": "Hymenoptera",
    "family": "Formicidae",
    "genus": "Eciton"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 0.00003,
    "lengthM": 0.01,
    "topSpeedKmh": 2,
    "lifespanYears": 5
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Eciton burchellii"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore (arthropods)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Tropical rainforest floor"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "Around 5 years in the wild (varies by population and captivity)."
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "About 3e-05 kg typical adult mass (sex and region vary)."
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to roughly 2 km/h when moving at speed."
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Neotropical forests from Mexico to Brazil and Peru.",
    "continents": [
      "North America",
      "South America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/army-ant/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/army-ant/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}