The Key to the Queendom: driver ants as keystone species in tropical Africa

Driver ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dorylus (Anomma)) form some of the largest animal colonies on Earth and conduct vast predatory raids covering the forest floor in search of food. These ants are mobile fortresses of biodiversity, whereby myriad animals associate themselves to driver ants as mutualists, parasites, and commensalists, following the nomadic colonies around the landscape as they move. Birds follow the raids to consume insects flushed by the ants. Chimps and pangolins search for and consume driver ants. Blind snakes live within the nest for food and protection. Dozens to hundreds of invertebrate species variously live within the nest, follow the raids, or interact with the columns. Almost every sub-Saharan African language has a specific word for driver ants. All these facts point to one overarching story: that driver ants rule the rainforest! This talk will outline the little that we do know of the ecology of driver ants and highlight the areas we urgently need to understand. As well as an overview of the wider Dorylus project, I will present results from a few aspects of the project that are beginning to come through. We’re just scratching the surface of this enormously interesting and important group of insects.