Medium to large workers, commonly around 8–12 millimetres excluding the spines.
Fine-art photographic collection
Polyrhachis bihamata
A Southeast Asian canopy ant protected by spectacular hooked spines.
About this species
Hook-spined ant
Polyrhachis bihamata(Drury, 1773)
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Polyrhachis bihamata is a large arboreal ant of South and Southeast Asia. Long curved spines project from the body, making the worker difficult for predators to seize or swallow.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Hymenoptera · Formicidae · Formicinae · Camponotini · Polyrhachis
Source checked · checked 2026-07-15
South and Southeast AsiaBroad documented localities — not a complete range map.
South and Southeast Asia.
Tropical and subtropical forest, woodland and wooded plantations.
Workers forage on trunks and branches for honeydew and animal food.
Honeydew, plant exudates, carrion and arthropods.
Arboreal colonies in cavities or nests incorporating plant material and larval silk.
What makes this species remarkable?
The paired spines curve like grappling hooks.
Spines increase handling difficulty for many vertebrate and invertebrate predators.
Some Polyrhachis use larval silk to bind nest materials together.
Sources and scientific references
More photographs
6