The phrase "soldier ants" refers to a type of ant that is strong, brave, and ready to protect the colony. They are responsible for defending the ant community from enemies or threats. Full definition
As the name implies, its colonies include soldier ants with disproportionately large heads. (sciencedaily.com)
This discovery of these oversized versions of soldier ants, whose job is to defend the nest, led researchers to create their own supersoldier ants in the lab with the help of a hormone, and, by doing so, offer an explanation for how ants, and possibly other social insects, take on specific forms with dedicated jobs within their colonies. (scientificamerican.com)
When eight bizarrely big - headed soldier ants turned up in a wild colony collected from Long Island, N.Y., scientists knew they had found something interesting. (scientificamerican.com)