Fun Facts!

-Although Eciton burchellii are mainly ground-dwelling species, their bivouacs (temporary home) can be in trees several meters off the ground (Animal diversity 2012).  (See Habitat and Geography for more!)

-Eciton burchellii was the original name for publication of this species of Army Ant, but in the late 1800’s the double i was regarded as unnecessary by taxonomists. Recently, newer taxonomic rules have went back to the original name and now it is the common name when speaking of army ants (Encyclopedia of Life 2013).

-Over 300 confirmed species, mostly birds and insects, have been reported to associate with Army Ants and also depend on them for their existence (Encyclopedia of life 2013).  (See Interactions for more!)

-When a colony of E. burchellii reaches maximum size, it can result in the split of the colony. What will happen is that the old queen will continue leading the main colony and her daughters will start heading new colonies (Encyclopedia of Life 2013).

-Another way that Army Ants communicate are with touch and vibrations. They do not communicate visually because they are almost completely blind!

-Eciton burchellii  communicate through chemical signals, touch, and vibrations because they are almost completely blind.  (See Forms and Functions for more)

-It takes a colony of Eciton burchellii only an average of six to eight hours to move an entire bivouac and is done normally at night (Califano and Chaves-Campos 2011).

-Eciton burchellii is a member of the genus Eciton, which has twelve known species in its taxonomic group. (See Classification for more!)

-In the Eciton burchellii reproduction life cycle, the wingless queen will lay around 100,000 eggs in the twenty days allowed to make the next generation. (See Reproduction for more!)

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