Brachymyrmex depilis workers and pupae in the brood nest. This species, while common across North America, is primarily subterranean and rarely seen above ground. South Bristol, New York, USA - Alex Wild Photography - Insect Photography

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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Brachymyrmex depilis workers and pupae in the brood nest. This species, while common across North America, is primarily subterranean and rarely seen above ground.

South Bristol, New York, USA

Adetomyrma sp. "mad-01", an undescribed species of dracula ant. The world has so many species of insects, and so few taxonomists, that finding new ones is almost trivial, especially in tropical regions.

Madagascar; captive lab colony photographed at the California Academy of Sciences

Hypoponera workers follow each other through a rotting log.

Kibale forest, Uganda

Solenopsis carolinensis thief ants. These insects- at 2mm in length- are so small as to be translucent.

Gainesville, Florida, USA

Cerapachys augustae, a blind subterranean insect, is one of the least known North America ant species. It occurs in the desert southwest.

Portal, Arizona, USA

Hypoponera opacior, worker and ergatoid male. Most ant males are wasp-like and winged, adapted for dispersing away from their home nest to mate with queens from other colonies. But some Hypoponera males are inbreeding specialists. These pale creatures are worker-like in appearance and mate with their sisters in the nest.

Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA

Stigmatomma pallipes dracula ant worker with larvae. This species is the most common and widespread of the North American Stigmatomma.

South Bristol, New York, USA

Hypoponera worker carrying a larva in the nest.

Yandoit, Victoria, Australia

Lasius umbratus worker with a larva in the brood nest.

Vermillion River Observatory, Illinois, USA

Brachymyrmex depilis workers and pupae in the brood nest. This species, while common across North America, is primarily subterranean and rarely seen above ground.

South Bristol, New York, USA

Canon EOS D60 |

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Original size: 3072x2048 |

Current: 800x534 |

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Keywords: ants cocoons brood pupae formicidae ant nest ant colony formicinae worker ant brachymyrmex brachymyrmex depilis

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Cryptic Ants: Life in the Litter

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