Stats

Lifespan: A few months
Size: Tiny
Diet: Omnivore
Activity: Cathemeral
Social: Colony
Biome: Tropical rainforest
Range: Worldwide
Movement: Walking
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Speed
Status: Uncommon

About

A slender, fast-moving ant named for its extremely long legs and antennae, which give its scurrying an erratic, zig-zagging quality. When it fights fire ants, it sprays them with formic acid, then dabs the acid onto its own body as an antidote to neutralize the fire ants' venom.

Life cycle

1.
egg
A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2.
juvenile
An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3.
subadult
A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4.
adult
Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Genus: Paratrechina
Species: Paratrechina longicornis