Driver ant soldier (Dorylus sp.)
The fearsome driver ants of the old world are ubiquitous throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa. Their reputation as agents of terror is well-established in the African folklore and though the reality is perhaps a bit less colourful, they are indeed a formidable force. Their colonies can number in the millions, and their combined strength can even subdue larger prey like reptiles, amphibians and the odd mammal. The larger soldiers protect the colony rather than engaging in food retrieval. Photographed in Virunga national park, DRC. Paul Bertner 2015.