Green tree ant is an ant known for weaving nests out of living leaves. The name refers to the bright green abdomen seen on the Australian variety. Green tree ants build nests in trees and shrubs. They live in tropical Australia , as well as Southeast Asia .
Instead of nesting in the ground, like many other ants, green tree ants make their nests in trees and shrubs. They weave many leaves together to form the nest. The ants work together to build the nest. They form chains of ants and pull the leaves together. While some ants hold the leaves together, other workers fetch one of their larvae (young), which can release sticky silken threads. The workers squeeze the larvae like a bottle of glue in order to stick the leaves together. Because of this, larvae cannot spin a cocoon before becoming an adult. One colony can have many nests spanning several trees, headed by one or several queens.
Green tree ants can be extremely aggressive. They will attack anything that shakes the nest. However, they can only bite. They do not have a sting. After biting, green tree ants can spray a type of acid called formic acid that they produce in their bodies into the wound. The formic acid causes pain and irritation.
Workers of the green tree ant are approximately 1/5 to 2/5 inch (5 to 10 millimeters) in length. They eat other small insects. Green tree ants help people by eating agricultural pests. Because they are so aggressive, however, green tree ants can attack farmers attempting to pick fruit from orchards, such as pollinators (organisms that pollinate plants).
People also eat green tree ants as food. The ants have a sour, lemony taste. Such other animals as birds, caterpillars, and spiders also use the green tree ant to help them survive. For example, before female blue butterflies lay eggs, they search for certain food plants and the presence of green tree ants. After the eggs hatch, the ants take the larvae into their nest. As the larvae grow, the green tree ants clean and care for them and protect them from predators, such as wasps. At night, the ants guide the caterpillars from the nest to feed on leaves. In return, the caterpillars produce a sweet substance called honeydew for the ants to eat.
