Common name : Safari ant
Scientific name : Dorylus
Family : Formicidae
Native to : Central & East Africa
Interesting fact : Taken from one of the regional Bantu languages, the term ‘Saifu’ is a word from Swahili, and is used for describing the different species of this ant.
An extremely large genus of army ants, the driver ants or safari ants build temporary anthills, which they use for months on end. Almost 20 million ants can dwell in one anthill. Since their diet is varied, these ants are considered a boon in some communities, since they kill and eat crop pests, from insects to rats. Since all the species of these ants are blind, they communicate through pheromones.
