Colobopsis explodens

Colobopsis explodens
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Genus:	Colobopsis
Species:	C. explodens
Binomial name
	Colobopsis explodens; Laciny & Zettel 2018

Colobopsis explodens is a species of ant which is found in Southeast Asia. Like some other species in its genus, it is noted for a rare combat mechanism of workers exploding in self-defense, smothering the enemy with toxic and often deadly secretion.^[1] This suicidal defensive adaptation also occurs among some species of termites: it is termed autothysis, and as ants and termites are members of practically unrelated insect orders, it comprises a dramatic example of convergent evolution.

^ ^a ^b Laciny, A.; Zettel, H.; Kopchinskiy, A.; Pretzer, C.; Pal, A.; Salim, K.A.; Rahimi, M.J; Hoenigsberger, M.; Lim, L.; Jaitrong, W.; Druzhinina, IS (2018). "Colobopsis explodens sp. n., model species for studies on "exploding ants" (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), with biological notes and first illustrations of males of the Colobopsis cylindrica group". ZooKeys (751): 1–40. doi:10.3897/zookeys.751.22661. PMC 5919914. PMID 29706783.

[Laciny&Zettel2018-1] Laciny, A.; Zettel, H.; Kopchinskiy, A.; Pretzer, C.; Pal, A.; Salim, K.A.; Rahimi, M.J; Hoenigsberger, M.; Lim, L.; Jaitrong, W.; Druzhinina, IS (2018). "Colobopsis explodens sp. n., model species for studies on "exploding ants" (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), with biological notes and first illustrations of males of the Colobopsis cylindrica group". ZooKeys (751): 1–40. doi:10.3897/zookeys.751.22661. PMC 5919914. PMID 29706783.

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