Yellow crazy ant
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Formicidae Genus: Anoplolepis Species: A. gracilipes
Binomial name
Anoplolepis gracilipes F. Smith, 1857

The yellow crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes) is a species of ant introduced accidentally to northern Australia and Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, becoming a pest in both locations. The native range is not known exactly, although scientists have speculated its origin as West Africa, India, or China ^[1]. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2133x1830, 567 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Killer ant Yellow crazy ant Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... Scientific classification redirects here. ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - spiders,scorpions, etc. ... Orders Subclass Apterygota Archaeognatha (bristletails) Thysanura (silverfish) Subclass Pterygota Infraclass Paleoptera (Probably paraphyletic) Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Superorder Exopterygota Grylloblattodea (ice-crawlers) Mantophasmatodea (gladiators) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Embioptera (webspinners) Zoraptera (angel insects) Dermaptera (earwigs) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, etc) Phasmatodea (stick insects) Blattodea (cockroaches) Isoptera (termites) Mantodea (mantids) Psocoptera... Suborders Apocrita Symphyta Hymenoptera is one of the larger orders of insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. ... For other uses, see Ant (disambiguation). ... Species See text Anoplolepis is a genus of ant in the family Formicidae. ... Latin name redirects here. ... Frederick Smith (1805 - 1879) was a British entomologist. ... For other uses, see Ant (disambiguation). ...  Western Africa (UN subregion)  Maghreb[1] West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ...

The species is currently known from Australia, American Samoa, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Cook Islands, Eurasia, French Polynesia, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga and the United States. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... For other uses, see Eurasia (disambiguation). ... Anthem Kaba Ma Kyei Capital Naypyidaw Largest city Yangon Official languages Burmese Demonym Burmese Government Military junta  -  Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Than Shwe  -  Prime Minister Soe Win  -  Acting Prime Minister Thein Sein Establishment  -  Bagan 849–1287   -  Taungoo Dynasty 1486–1752   -  Konbaung Dynasty 1752–1885   -  Colonial rule...

A. gracilipes from Hawaiʻi

The crazy ant is among the 100 most destructive invasive species.^{[citation needed]} They take advantage of their new environments by nesting in anything, from the crowns of crop plants to the hollows of native palm trees. Their introduction to a new ecosystem has dramatic consequences. Among them is the pressure they place on native ant species. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 564 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (894 × 951 pixel, file size: 87 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 564 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (894 × 951 pixel, file size: 87 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Lantana invasion of abandoned citrus plantation; Moshav Sdey Hemed, Israel The term invasive species refers to a subset of introduced species or non-indigenous species that are rapidly expanding outside of their native range. ...

It is a particular problem on Christmas Island;^[2]. Instead of forming colonies with a single queen, it now forms supercolonies with several queens which cooperate rather than fight. This aggressive insect has devastated the wildlife of the island. Using formic acid it will overpower sizeable creatures like reptiles and coconut crabs and has killed 10-20 million Christmas Island red crabs. Seedlings that would normally have been devoured by the crabs grow unmolested, noticeably changing the appearance of the affected forests. In addition, the ants protect scale insects that are harmful to plant life. These ants harvest scale insects that suck sap from native trees and convert it into honeydew on which the ants feed. With this mutualism relationship, the scale insect populations increase quickly, increasing the cover of honeydew on native trees, which in turn get infected with molds and die. There are also problems for Christmas Island's red land crabs, which have fed on decaying matter in the island's forests before the ants arrived. The crabs find the formic acid spray of the ants poisonous. If the crab goes extinct, then the ecology of the island would falter as well. The ant also threatens the survival of many of Christmas Island's native birds, reptiles, and mammals. The crazy ant has also become a serious agricultural pest. So far chemicals and other preventative measures have been used to control them.^{[citation needed]} Ant colony, in the Pirin Mountains, Bulgaria An ant colony is an underground lair where ants live. ... A queen is the only female insect in a hive that is fertile and egg laying; for example, a queen bee, wasp, hornet, ant, or termite. ... Orders Subclass Apterygota Archaeognatha (bristletails) Thysanura (silverfish) Subclass Pterygota Infraclass Paleoptera (Probably paraphyletic) Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Superorder Exopterygota Grylloblattodea (ice-crawlers) Mantophasmatodea (gladiators) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Embioptera (webspinners) Zoraptera (angel insects) Dermaptera (earwigs) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, etc) Phasmatodea (stick insects) Blattodea (cockroaches) Isoptera (termites) Mantodea (mantids) Psocoptera... Formic acid (systematically called methanoic acid) is the simplest carboxylic acid. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1767 Coconut crab distribution The coconut crab (Birgus latro) is the largest terrestrial arthropod in the world. ... Binomial name Gecarcoidea natalis Pocock, 1888 The Christmas Island red crab (Gecarcoidea natalis) is a species of terrestrial crab endemic to both the Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean. ... Families Aclerdidae Asterolecaniidae Beesoniidae Carayonemidae Cerococcidae Coccidae Conchaspididae Dactylopiidae Diaspididae Electrococcidae Eriococcidae Grimaldiellidae Halimococcidae Inkaidae Jersicoccidae Kermesidae Kerriidae Kukaspididae Labiococcidae Lecanodiaspididae Margarodidae Micrococcidae Ortheziidae Phenacoleachiidae Phoenicococcidae Pseudococcidae Putoidae Stictococcidae The scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, notable for their habit of secreting a waxy covering that covers... In biology, mutualism is an interaction between two or more species, where both species derive benefit. ...

It is estimated that the population of Christmas Island Frigatebird (Fregata andrewsi) will decline by 80% in the next 30 years due to predation of the young by Crazy Ants^{[citation needed]}; however, an aerial spraying procedure seems to be effective in controlling the ants. The crazy Ants come in swarms and attack reptiles, destroying them very quickly and with ease. Binomial name Fregata andrewsi Mathews, 1914 Christmas Island Frigatebird (Fregata andrewsi) is a frigatebird which breeds only on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. ...

The name "crazy ant" derives from the ant's foraging technique, involving fast movements with many random changes in direction, which becomes especially frantic when it is disturbed.

References

1. ^ Global Invasive Species Database: Anoplolepis gracilipes.
2. ^ Australian Department of the Environment and Heritage. Yellow crazy ants.

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Anoplolepis gracilipes