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Glite Dictionary
Amazon ant

Amazon ant

9.8
A small reddish ant that raids other ant nests and uses captured workers for all tasks
  • noun
  • /ˈæməˌzɑn ænt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : hormiga amazónica
  • The Amazon ant is notorious for attacking other ant colonies and taking their pupae as slaves.

Examples

  • Scientists observed a nest of Amazon ants preparing for a raid on a nearby Formica colony.

  • Unlike most ants, the Amazon ant relies entirely on captured workers for basic tasks.

  • Look at that Amazon ant!

  • The Amazon ant is known for its unique behavior.

  • The Amazon ant is known for raiding other ant colonies and taking their workers as slaves.

  • During their raids, Amazon ants capture workers from other ant species to help them gather food.

  • Researchers observed how Amazon ants strategically invade nests to enslave their rivals.

Synonyms

Polyergus rufescens
vsAmazon ant
  • Specialized
9.9

A small reddish ant that steals workers from other ants to work in its colony

is the broader genus term rather than one specific species
Polyergus
vsAmazon ant
  • Specialized
9.9

A kind of ant that raids other ant nests to capture workers and force them to work

is an individual ant rather than the entire genus
slave-maker
vsAmazon ant
  • Specialized
9.9

An ant that enters other ant nests and takes young ants to raise as workers

focuses on raiding to take existing workers rather than taking young
slave-making ant
vsAmazon ant
  • Specialized
9.9

An ant that attacks other ant nests and takes their young to raise as workers in its own nest

focuses on taking adult workers rather than on raising captured young

Surface Forms

Amazon ant singular
Amazon ants plural

Morphology

Amazon + ant

A learner who knows 'Amazon' as the rainforest/region (or place name) and 'ant' as an insect will readily infer that an 'Amazon ant' is an ant associated with the Amazon, so the basic referential sense (location/origin) is derivable. However, the specific biological meaning (a particular genus Polyergus with raiding and enslaving behaviour) is specialized and not predictable from the constituents, making the expression only partially transparent.

Etymology

The name Amazon ant may come from the story of the Amazons, fierce women warriors who raided other tribes. Because these ants also raid other nests and take captured workers as 'slaves', the name helps you remember that they attack and use other ants to work for them.