Bug FAQAfrican stink ant
Paltothyreus tarsatus · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Formicidae
Also called: Giant stink ant, African Stink Ants
Workers measure about 17 to 20 mm and queens are slightly larger at around 23 mm and have wings. They build shallow nests that spread over a large area and can hold up to 5 000 workers. The species occurs throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
African stink ant belongs to the monotypic genus Paltothyreus in the subfamily Ponerinae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Workers are 17 to 20 mm long; queens are similar but larger at about 23 mm and are winged.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
A single nest may contain as many as 5 000 workers, a number few ant species match.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
These ants are predators that can take prey as large as beetles. The frog Phrynomantis microps sometimes lives inside their nests, using them as burrows.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Paltothyreus tarsatus is widely distributed across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
African stink ant is the only species in its genus, making it unique among Ponerinae ants.
Source: Wikipedia
Questions people ask
How large are African stink ants?
Workers are about 17 to 20 mm long and queens are around 23 mm with wings.
Source: Wikipedia
Where are African stink ants found?
They are native to and widely distributed throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
What do African stink ants eat?
They are predators that can capture prey as large as beetles, and sometimes share their nests with the frog Phrynomantis microps.
Source: Wikipedia
How big can an African stink ant nest get?
A nest may hold up to 5 000 workers and spreads over a large area.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Formicidae)
Eastern Black Carpenter AntCamponotus pennsylvanicusCan damage your home
Red Imported Fire AntSolenopsis invictaCan sting
American Winter AntPrenolepis imparis
Argentine AntLinepithema humileNuisance, not dangerous
Immigrant Pavement AntTetramorium immigransCan sting
Odorous House AntTapinoma sessileCan damage your homeSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paltothyreus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.