Workers are reported at roughly 21–28 mm in body length; major workers are substantially heavier than minors.
Fine-art photographic collection
Dinomyrmex gigas
A rainforest giant built for life across the forest floor and canopy.
About this species
Giant forest ant
Dinomyrmex gigas(Latreille, 1802)
Information reviewed14 July 2026
Dinomyrmex gigas is one of the largest living ants and the only species currently placed in the genus Dinomyrmex. Its large workers form highly organised colonies that occupy several connected nests and forage across substantial rainforest territories.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Hymenoptera · Formicidae · Formicinae · Camponotini · Dinomyrmex
Accepted · checked 2026-07-14
Southeast AsiaBroad documented region — not a complete range map.
Southeast Asian forests, documented from Sumatra and Singapore through Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo to Thailand.
Tropical rainforest, especially lowland forest. Detailed field studies have followed colonies in primary rainforest in Sabah, Borneo.
Predominantly nocturnal. Workers move between the forest floor and canopy, with the greatest foraging activity occurring after dark.
Sugary liquids, particularly honeydew from sap-feeding insects, form the main food source. Arthropod prey and nutrient-rich animal droppings supplement the diet.
Polydomous: one colony occupies several linked nests. A well-studied colony contained about 7,000 workers across an average of 11 nests within a territory of about 0.8 hectares.
What makes this species remarkable?
Neighbouring colonies can meet at persistent boundary sites and engage in ritualised contests rather than immediately escalating into lethal mass fights.
Workers follow permanent routes between nests and feeding areas, creating a three-dimensional transport network through the rainforest.
The species was long known as Camponotus gigas. A 2016 phylogenetic revision restored Dinomyrmex as a separate genus.
More photographs
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