Oecophylla

Oecophylla is a genus of tropical arboreal ants known as weaver ants, named for their distinctive nest-building technique that uses larval silk to stitch together leaves into large, living leaf nests. The genus is distributed across tropical Asia, Africa, and parts of Australia, where colonies occupy the canopies of trees. The two best-known species are Oecophylla smaragdina (the green tree ant) and Oecophylla longinoda (the orange weaver ant).

Nest construction and social structure are key features. Workers of different sizes cooperate to harvest leaves, feed brood, and produce silk; mixed-age foraging columns and extensive nest networks can cover considerable portions of a tree. Colonies typically have one or more queens and a large worker force; reproduction may involve nuptial flights or budding to form new nests near the parent colony.

Ecology and diet: Oecophylla ants are highly omnivorous and predatory, actively foraging for insects and other small invertebrates while also tending sap-sucking insects such as aphids and scale insects to harvest honeydew. This mutualism can influence pest dynamics in crops: ants may reduce some pests but protect honeydew producers, potentially increasing other crop pests.

Interaction with humans: because of their aggressive defense of territory and affinity for cultivated trees, they are studied and sometimes deployed as biological control agents in fruit production. Their nest-building behavior and social organization have made them a subject of extensive ecological and evolutionary research within tropical ecosystems.