Oecophylla smaragdina
Oecophylla smaragdina (common names include Asian weaver ant, weaver ant, green ant, green tree ant, semut rangrang, semut kerangga, and orange gaster) is a species of arboreal ant found in tropical Asia and Australia. These ants form colonies with multiple nests in trees, each nest being made of leaves stitched together using the silk produced by the ant larvae: hence the name 'oecophylla' [Greek for 'leaf-house']. Description Workers and major workers are mostly coloured orange. Workers are long; they look after larvae and farm scale bugs for honeydew. Major workers are long, with long strong legs and large mandibles. They forage, assemble and expand the nest. Queens are typically long, and normally greenish-brown, giving the species its name smaragdina (Latin: emerald). Distribution and habitat Oecophylla smaragdina has a widespread distribution in tropical Asia and Australia, its range extending from India through Indonesia and the Philippines to Northern Territory and Queensland in Australia. It is an arboreal species, making its nests among the foliage of trees. Nests are constructed during the night, with major workers weaving towards the exterior and minor workers completing the interior structure. The ant colony may have several nests in one tree, or the nests may be