Polyrhachis sokolova: taxon details and analytics

Domain
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Hymenoptera
Family
Formicidae
Genus
Polyrhachis
Species
Polyrhachis sokolova
Scientific Name
Polyrhachis sokolova

Summary description from Wikipedia:

Polyrhachis sokolova

Polyrhachis sokolova is a species of ant from Australia and New Guinea that recently was discovered to be capable of surviving tidal inundations.

Researchers at the James Cook University gained attention in 2006 after finding and reporting this behavior. Polyrhachis sokolova nests in mud in mangrove swamps, regularly inundated by rising tides. They survive these inundations in pockets of air that are trapped within the nest. This lifestyle calls for regular moving of their eggs, larvae and cocoons to stay ahead of water trickling into the nest passages. A large amount of effort is expended on repairing water damage after each high tide. The ants are able to move across large stretches of water by either running on the surface tension skin or swimming with their legs below the surface. While swimming it has been documented that these ants are eaten by fish, mud skippers, and crabs.

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Images from inaturalist.org observations:

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Polyrhachis sokolova
©Andrew Wallace, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Andrew Wallace, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©coenobita, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©coenobita, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©coenobita, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Colin Trainor, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Colin Trainor, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Colin Trainor, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Colin Trainor, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Graeme Cocks, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-SA)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Graeme Cocks, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-SA)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Graeme Cocks, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-SA)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Daniel Kurek, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Daniel Kurek, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Nigel Main, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Polyrhachis sokolova
©Scott W. Gavins, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)