Young fungus-growing ant queens such as this Acromyrmex versicolorleave the established fungus gardens of their parent colonies to start new nests. These queens carry with them a pellet of fungal inoculum in a small pouch in their mouthparts, and upon excavating a new nest they expel and fertilize the pellet, shown here with two freshly-laid ant eggs. Tucson, Arizona, USA - Alex Wild Photography - Insect Photography

Metamorphosis

Images from the life cycle of developing ants.

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The brood nest of Adetomyrma dracula ants showing larvae of varying age.

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

Ants, like butterflies, have complete metamorphosis. They pass through egg, larva, and pupa stages prior to reaching adulthood. Pseudomyrmex gracilis.

Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA

The life cycle of the twig ant Pseudomyrmex gracilis.

Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA

Metamorphosis in the green tree ant Oecophylla smaragdina.

Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Inside the leaf nest of Oecophylla smaragdina weaver ants. Note the two size classes of worker.

Cairns, Queensland, Australia

A Desert Leafcutter queen (Acromyrmex versicolor) tends to larvae in an incipient fungus garden.

Tucson, Arizona, USA

The birth of an ant-fungus garden, with newly-laid ant eggs and the early stages of fungal growth. Leaf-cutting ant colonies subsist entirely on their cultivated fungus. (Acromyrmex versicolor)

Tucson, Arizona, USA

A young leafcutter ant queen (Acromyrmex versicolor) with her eggs and incipient fungus garden.

Tucson, Arizona, USA

Young fungus-growing ant queens such as this Acromyrmex versicolorleave the established fungus gardens of their parent colonies to start new nests. These queens carry with them a pellet of fungal inoculum in a small pouch in their mouthparts, and upon excavating a new nest they expel and fertilize the pellet, shown here with two freshly-laid ant eggs.

Tucson, Arizona, USA

Canon EOS 20D |

More details: exif |

Original size: 3420x2276 |

Current: 800x533 |

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Keywords: queen fungi nest eggs fungus insect insects evolution versicolor ecology brood entomology formicidae mutualism myrmicinae attini acromyrmex

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Metamorphosis

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