Strongest Ant Species (Debunked)

Contrary to popular belief, the smaller the ant, the more strength it possesses.

Despite their small size, ants can lift objects multiple times their body weight and can take down much larger creatures than themselves.

But what is the strongest ant of them all?

Find out below!

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What Is The Strongest Ant Species?

Leaf Cutter Ants are considered the world’s strongest ant species. These ants can carry more than 30 times their weight. These dark red ants are approximately 0.7 inches in length. Leaf cutter ants cut out leaf parts from plants and trees, hence the name.

The heavy leaf parts they carry can easily exceed 30 times their weight, and they have been known to carry them for long distances.

Interestingly, these leaves cultivate a unique fungus called Leucocoprineae that they use as food.

This fungus gives them the protein they need for these long journeys.

This fungus also helps them, making them stronger by providing them with nutrition.

Is The Ant The Strongest Insect?

Although ants are one of the strongest insects on the planet, they aren’t the strongest. Several species of beetles are proven to be even stronger than ants. These beetles, like the Dung Beetle and can pull much greater weights relative to themselves compared to ants.

Leafcutter Ants

The leafcutter ants, as seen earlier, can carry weights much greater than their weights.

They then use these leaves for their nutrition and use them to grow fungus.

Green Tree Ants

Green Tree Ants are found in Australia, Africa, and Tropical Asia.

The Worker Ants range in size from 0.19-0.2 inches (Worker ants) to 0.3-0.4 inches (Major Worker Ants).

The queen ant is much larger and measures around 0.8-1.0 inches.

Also known as Weaver Ants, the Green Tree Ants have strong mandibles that allow for a painful bite while spraying formic acid on wounds.

A large part of their diet is other ant species.

Once one ant notices a prey that can be used as food, it alarms the others and waits for more ants to arrive.

Army Ants

Army ants are nature’s Mongol Hordes. Always on the move, always causing destruction, these ants are ravaging everything in their path. Anything standing in their way will be overwhelmed. While dicing up their prey, army ants spread a dissolving acid through their sting.

Army Ants are ruthless. Flesh, muscles, and tendons melt into a liquidized matter after a sting.

They eat it and keep going.

Army ants can take on much larger insects.

No matter the size of their enemy, these ants will go right after them using their massive numbers and scissor-like jaws (mandibles).

When army ants discover another colony of ants, they immediately attack.

Some ants protect their nests by blocking the entrances to their colony.

Most army ants aren’t individually effective, but their sheer numbers can overwhelm victim colonies before they can mount an effective defense.

This makes them one of the deadliest insects of all.

Although ants use their nest for protection and can be lethal due to their organizational behavior, several other creatures are stronger.

These species include beetles, such as the Rhinoceros Beetles, the dung beetle, and others, which have been known to carry weights even greater than ants – making ants less strong than them.

Are Ants One Of The Strongest Insects?

Since there are several ant species, all of them are not equally strong. However, some of them surely possess powers that can make ants some of the strongest insects on the planet. It is interesting to note that their size can determine their strength.

Generally, the smaller the ants are, the stronger they can be.

Due to their low body weight, they use their lightweight as an addition to their strength.

Since less energy is used to carry less body weight, these insects can carry a ton of weight over their head.

It doesn’t make much sense to us either, but ultimately, the smaller the ants, the stronger they are.

Another reason ants are so strong is their body shape.

The design of an ant’s body is excellent for lifting massive amounts of weight due to its compact form.

Some ants’ necks can even support up to 5000 times their weight.

Ants can be considered one of the strongest insects on the planet.

What Insect Is The Strongest?

Beetles are considered the strongest insects on the planet, with several species known to have incredible strength. The Dung Beetle is the strongest insect, as this type of beetle can pull upwards of 1150 times its body weight compared to its size.

Dung Beetle

The Dung Beetle has been named the world’s strongest insect because it can pull around 1141 times its body weight. This amount was determined by an expert experiment involving researchers gluing a cotton thread to the beetles’ hard wing cases.

They live, eat, and reproduce in manure.

They are scarabs and range in size from 0.5-2.5 inches (Source)

Rhinoceros Beetles

The rhinoceros beetles have been described as large insects that can “grow up to 6 inches,” according to the National Wildlife Foundation. They get their name because the male beetles have long horns on their heads, which bear a strong resemblance to the rhinoceros horn.

A popular mechanic article states that these beetles “have received popular acclaim as perhaps the proportionally strongest creatures on Earth, with some species said to be able to lift over 800 times their weight.” (Source)

Hence, beetles are the strongest insects of all.

Dangerous Ants

Although some of the most dangerous ants are the bulldog and the bullet ant, other aggressive species of ants worldwide have also been known to cause havoc.

Some of these most dangerous ants include the Pony Ants, the Siafu ants, the Fire Ant, and The Florida Harvester Ant.

These tiny insects value hard work and teamwork and possess strength beyond most other animals.

Almost all ants live in colonies(nests).

With thousands of species, some of them are considered to be very dangerous ants.

Bulldog Ants

The Bulldog Ant (Myrmecia pyriformis) is the most dangerous in the world. Originating in the coastal regions in Australia and commonly found in South America, Bulldog Ants use their stings and powerful jaws simultaneously to bite their prey. They are highly aggressive ants.

The venom from their bite (popular in the coastal areas of Australia) is painful and causes severe allergic reactions.

The venom is potent. This allergic reaction is deadly and can kill.

The Guinness World Records book lists these as the most dangerous ant in the world.

The bite of the Bulldog Ant is known to have been responsible for at least three human deaths since 1936.

Between 1980 and 2000, six human beings died from the venomous sting of these bulldog ants.

Its venom can kill a fully grown within 15 minutes.

While we will discuss some dangerous ants, with the bulldog ant sitting on top as the deadliest, remember it’s still not the strongest ant.

The Leaf Cutter Ant triumphs as the strongest ant, given its capability to lift such huge weights compared to its size.

Bullet Ants

Bullet Ants are known to have the most potent sting, but they have no record of killing people; their venom is seen to be devastating, making it some of the most dangerous. Their encounters are rarely deadly for humans, just very painful.

Enough stings can cause paralysis and create a burning sensation after the venom is injected.

The painful sting instills a burning pain that persists from a few hours to 24 hours if left untreated.

Victims have noticed the excretion of fresh blood in their feces after being stung.

The Bullet Ant lives in nests in the rainforests of Central and South America.

Their bodies are creepily long, sometimes approaching 3 centimeters in length.

Known for being the ultimate pain inducers, the bullet ant sting is excruciating.

A peptide in their sting called poneratoxin causes this severe pain.

Pony Ants

Known for its distinctive metallic appearance, the Pony Ant is another dangerous ant species endemic to Australia. It injects venom into its prey, causing an anaphylactic shock. This pray includes beetles, moths, and termites. These ants make quick work of pray and have been used as pest control.

Florida Harvester Ants

The Florida Harvester is considered a dangerous ant since its venom is compared to that of a cobra. This comparison is due to its excruciating sting, and it also sprays venom into the bite wound, which makes it super painful.

Fire Ants

Fire ants are non-invasive ants that do not attack humans unless they feel threatened. We do not recommend threatening these ants. Still, the red imported fire ant was accidentally introduced to countries like the US. These ants are ruthless, damaging everything from golf courses to electrical equipment.

The United States Department of Agriculture took some uninformed measures to kill the ants – but took native ants’ lives instead.

Siafu Ants

Siafu Ants are found in East and Central Africa. These ants can potentially kill humans and cause anaphylactic shock with their bite, like the Pony Ant. Their colonies are much bigger than other ant colonies and are some of the largest living ants.

Also known as the Green-Head Ant, the Siafu Ant can be used for pest control as it can control beetle, moth larvae, and termite populations.

Final Thoughts

Ranging from green tree ants, bullet ants, and pony ants to the bulldog ant, fire ant, greenhead ant, the Florida harvester ant, green ant, green tree ant, the green head ant, the jack jumper ant, and the fire ant (you name it!) ants make up a high percentage of the biomass of the world.

These incredible creatures have strengths that only a few insects can rival.

Next time you see an ant, be careful it doesn’t pick you up!