army ant

American  

noun

1. any of the chiefly tropical ants of the suborder Dorylinae that travel in vast swarms, preying mainly on other insects.

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army ant British  

noun

1. Also called: legionary ant.  any of various mainly tropical American predatory ants of the subfamily Dorylinae, which live in temporary nests and travel in vast hordes preying on other animals See also driver ant

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Etymology

Origin of army ant

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Some, for example, have evolved to look like army ants, allowing the beetles to march alongside them and feed on their eggs and young.

From Science Magazine

Now that researchers have seen the light, they know what to look for in visually impaired arthropods such as army ants and blind beetles.

From Science Magazine

To validate the method, the team plans to sample bat guano in Gabon for viruses and compare them with what they find in army ants feeding on the same guano.

From Science Magazine

Back in 1990, on David Attenborough’s The Trials of Life for instance, a medical endoscope was used to film inside a bivouac of army ants in Panama.

From The Guardian

These army ants in Costa Rica don't build a nest in the earth or in an old tree.

From BBC