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Colobopsis saundersi
open-in-new
<p><i>Colobopsis saundersi</i> (synonym <i>Camponotus saundersi</i>), also called the Malaysian exploding ant or suicide ant, is a <a href="/facts/Species/oDg6b96r">species</a> of <a href="/facts/Ant/CyxckAAE">ant</a> found in <a href="/facts/Malaysia/8zbUMzCP">Malaysia</a> and <a href="/facts/Brunei/dyz9JUn8">Brunei</a>, belonging to the <a href="/facts/Genus/m8EFjSms">genus</a> <i><a href="/facts/Colobopsis/kbPagQU3">Colobopsis</a></i>. A worker can explode suicidally and aggressively as an ultimate act of defense, an ability it has in common with several other species in this genus and a few other <a href="/facts/Insects/IgDNvnUL">insects</a>. The ant has an enormously enlarged <a href="/facts/Mandible_(insect_mouthpart)/EBl2GxxL">mandibular</a> gland, many times the size of other ants, which produces adhesive secretions for defense. According to a 2018 study, this species forms a <a href="/facts/Species_complex/u6qEMdRQ">species complex</a> and is probably related to <i><a href="/facts/Colobopsis_explodens/KcMnGTFb">C. explodens</a></i>, which is part of the <i>C. cylindrica</i> group. </p>