legionary ant

9.3

A tropical ant that moves in large swarms to hunt other insects

noun
/ˈliːdʒəˌnɛri ænt/

Specialized

: hormiga legionario

The legionary ant colony moved swiftly through the rainforest, overwhelming any insects in its path.

Examples

Researchers study the hunting patterns of the legionary ant to better understand swarm intelligence.
Because of their aggressive foraging, legionary ants are feared by many smaller creatures in the tropics.
The legionary ant is known for its aggressive hunting behavior.
Many legionary ants can overwhelm a single prey quickly.
The legionary ant swarmed over the leaves, capturing small insects with incredible speed.
In the dense jungle, a colony of legionary ants moved as one, hunting in a continuous stream.
Farmers often report that legionary ants invade their fields, disrupting local insect populations.

Synonyms

army ant

vslegionary ant

Specialized

1 6.4

A tropical ant that moves in large groups and hunts other insects

is defined by often moving in large swarms and preying on other insects

driver ant

vslegionary ant

South African

1 9.1

A large tropical ant that moves in long lines and hunts other insects

typically moves in large swarms rather than primarily in long marching columns

Eciton

vslegionary ant

Specialized

9.9

A kind of army ant from Central and South America that hunts in large swarms

is the broader species concept used for similar nomadic swarming predators

Dorylinae

vslegionary ant

Specialized

9.9

A type of ant that moves and hunts together in large, aggressive groups

is the single nomadic predatory species rather than a wider taxonomic group

siafu

vslegionary ant

South African

9.9

A large, aggressive African ant that moves in huge groups and bites hard

shares nomadic group hunting but does not focus on the powerful bite feature

Surface Forms

legionary ant singular

legionary ants plural

Morphology

legionary + ant

The compound is partly interpretable: a learner who knows 'legionary' (soldier/member of a legion) and 'ant' can infer an ant that behaves like a group of soldiers — i.e. forms large, aggressive groups. However, the precise biological sense (a specific tropical, nomadic, predatory species and its swarming behavior) is not fully derivable from the constituents, so the meaning is only partly predictable.

Etymology

Legionary ant comes from a simple image: a legionary was a soldier, and these ants move and hunt in long, marching groups like an 'army'. That's why 'legionary ant' means a tropical ant that travels in large swarms to hunt other insects.