Why aren’t they called three-chambered ants?

Reply:

It is true that the black and orange colored insects that people often call three-cavity ants are actually small beetles of the Staphylinidae family.

This species of beetle is called blunt-winged because its stiff wings are short, just enough to cover the folded membranous wings underneath. This feature makes them look like a shirtless “guy” wearing a vest. In Vietnam, most of the beetle species that fly into houses belong to the Paederus genus, the most common being Paederus fuscipes.

With a small, narrow body, about 10 mm long, the size of a medium-sized ant and the ability to move quickly, it is not difficult to understand why people often mistake them for ants. In the North, farmers still call them “field ants”. This beetle has a red-brown body, while the middle wings are glossy blue-black, forming three distinctly colored compartments on its back. Because of this characteristic, they are called “three-chambered ants”.

Vietnamese entomologists do not agree with the name “three-chambered ant” because this name easily causes a lot of unnecessary confusion. Therefore, they officially named this species the three-chambered beetle. This name not only helps “vindicate” the ant family, but also creates a clear distinction from another species of beetle that has a similar morphology and also bears a name related to “three chambers”. The beetle is Ophionea nigrofasiata, a small predatory beetle in the Carabidae family, commonly found in fields. Correct naming not only helps avoid confusion but also supports research and accurate identification of insect species in nature.