Adetomyrma venatrix
Dracula ant
Primitive Malagasy ant that feeds on the hemolymph of its own larvae without killing them.
- Habitat
- Leaf litter of humid forests in eastern Madagascar.
- Behavior
- Small cryptic colonies; non-lethal larval puncture feeding; wingless queens.
- Distribution
- Endemic to Madagascar; restricted to primary forests in the east.
- Diet
- Hemolymph from own larvae and small soil arthropods.
# Key Features
*Adetomyrma venatrix* practices a unique behavior called "non-destructive vampirism": workers pierce the cuticle of their own larvae to drink hemolymph, without killing them. The larvae survive and recover. This behavior represents a primitive form of trophallaxis (food exchange). Discovered in 1994, this species belongs to an ancient subfamily (Amblyoponinae) that retains ancestral ant characteristics. Colonies have fewer than 100 individuals and are extremely difficult to find.