About Plagiolepis alluaudi Emery, 1894
Plagiolepis alluaudi is a very small ant species, with an average total body length of 1/16 of an inch (1.6 mm). Individuals are yellow, have a rounded head, and have eleven antennal segments. The only other yellow species in the genus Plagiolepis is P. exigua, which has an oblong head. P. alluaudi can also be confused with workers of the genus Brachymyrmex, which have nine antennal segments. P. alluaudi feeds on honeydew, a plant sap-derived product produced by insects including aphids, mealybugs, and scale insects. This ant species protects these insects, which are often agricultural pests, from predators. It even raises the pests' offspring in its nests until the larvae mature into adults. Colonies of P. alluaudi contain thousands of egg-laying queen ants, and form supercolonies.
