# Army Ant (*Eciton burchellii*)

> 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.

- **Category:** Insect
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Least Concern
- **Range:** Neotropical forests from Mexico to Brazil and Peru.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/army-ant/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Insecta
- **Order:** Hymenoptera
- **Family:** Formicidae
- **Genus:** Eciton

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Eciton burchellii |
| Diet | Carnivore (arthropods) |
| Habitat | Tropical rainforest floor |
| Lifespan | Around 5 years in the wild (varies by population and captivity). |
| Weight | About 3e-05 kg typical adult mass (sex and region vary). |
| Top speed | Up to roughly 2 km/h when moving at speed. |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |

## Living nests on the march

Colonies alternate nomadic and stationary phases. During stops, workers cling together into a bivouac sheltering the queen and brood. Raids form fan-shaped fronts of hundreds of thousands of ants.

## Arthropod wave front

Prey includes cockroaches, spiders, scorpions, and other ants flushed from leaf litter — not leaf-cutting agriculture. Specialist antbirds follow swarms to snatch escapees.

## Neotropical rainforest floor

Tropical forests from Mexico through Central America to Brazil and Peru. Columns dominate trails and clearings during peak raid hours. Across its range it is tied to tropical rainforest floor, and field accounts emphasise this species’ distinctive ecology rather than generic habitat labels.

## Keystone movers

Least Concern and ecologically influential: raids redistribute nutrients and support attendant bird species. Habitat clearing removes the continuous forest they need for long raid cycles.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do army ants have a permanent nest?

No — Eciton colonies form temporary living bivouacs and regularly relocate.

### What do army ants eat?

Other arthropods flushed by the swarm — insects, spiders, and similar prey.

### Why do birds follow army ants?

Antbirds and others catch insects fleeing the raid front.

### Can army ants kill large animals?

Swarms can overrun small vertebrates unable to flee, but large mammals simply move aside; sensational claims are overstated.

### Where do Eciton army ants live?

Neotropical rainforests from Mexico to Brazil and Peru. Native range summary: Neotropical forests from Mexico to Brazil and Peru.

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/army-ant/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.