Outside of Indonesia, A. gracilipes ants have little to no natural predators in the wild. That gives the little bugs an invasive advantage, allowing them to spread to Florida and the American Gulf states, in addition to parts of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Mauritius and throughout Southeast Asia.
Also known as long-legged ants or Maldive ants, these tiny insects don't have mental illness. Instead, their strange name comes from their infamous frenetic zig-zag scurrying that, to the untrained eye, seems frankly terrifying, especially if you're squeamish about bugs.
