Cryptic Ants: Life in the Litter

Scarcely noticed by human observers, thousands of cryptic ant species live entirely underground in soil, rotting wood and leaf litter. These small, often blind insects are predators, scavengers, and farmers of root insects.

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An Acanthognathus ocellatus forager hunts through a bed of moss

Venezuela

Acropyga goeldii worker & alate queen. Workers are nearly blind, but queens have eyes to help navigate during their brief flight to start a new colony.

Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil

A Calyptomyrmex piripilis worker rescues a larva when her nest is disturbed by the photographer. The function of the ornate, spatulate hairs is unknown.

Kibale forest, Uganda
(PSW16850)

Strumigenys rogeri worker, foraging in the leaf litter.

Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA

Eurhopalothrix procera - a worker ant delicately handles a freshly-laid egg.

Cape Tribulation, Queensland, Australia

An Acanthognathus ocellatus forager hunts through a bed of moss

Venezuela

Canon EOS 20D |

More details: exif |

Original size: 2967x2106 |

Current: 800x568 |

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Keywords: tropical ants insect insects predator hymenoptera entomology formicidae myrmicinae trapjaw dacetini dacetine ocellatus acanthognathus

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Cryptic Ants: Life in the Litter

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