Lioponera larvata – unusual looking ants from Australia, as if assembled from black beads. Despite their funny appearance, they are cruel predators-myrmecophages.
Almost daily, groups of invaders leave the nest, pursuing only one goal: to find anthills of not particularly aggressive species, incapable of giving a significant rebuff. From there they will take the tender brood to feed their own larvae.
However, Lioponera larvata often suffers punishment for myrmecophagy: rarely are their families free of parasites, usually each ant carries several mites, accidentally picked up in a fallen nest.
