Cephalotes - # - Alex Wild Photography - Insect Photography - Insect Pictures

Cephalotes

is a diverse genus of heavily-armored, tree-dwelling myrmicine ants found in forested regions of the new world tropics and subptropics. A number of rainforest canopy species show the unusual habit of controlled gliding flight when they are knocked from tree branches. Most species are polymorphic, having a "soldier" caste with an enlarged head used for blocking the nest entrances.

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Cephalotes rohweri

Tucson, Arizona, USA

A turtle ant soldier Cephalotes spinosus guards the nest entrance using her head as a door.

Misahuallí, Napo, Ecuador

Cephalotes spinosus turtle ants nest in tree cavities carved by the larvae of wood-boring beetles. At the top, a pair of guard ants sit in the entrance, blocking the hole with their bulbous heads.

Misahuallí, Napo, Ecuador

Cephalotes spinosus

Misahuallí, Napo, Ecuador

A minor worker of the strikingly-colored Cephalotes umbraculatus drinks from a water droplet.

Archidona, Napo, Ecuador

Cephalotes umbraculatus

Ecuador

Cephalotes varians, turtle ant soldier. The bizarre disc on the head is used as a living door to block the nest entrance.

Florida Keys, USA

A worker turtle ant (Cephalotes varians) emerges from a nest in a red mangrove twig.

Florida Keys, USA

Cephalotes varians

Florida Keys, USA

Cephalotes rohweri

Tucson, Arizona, USA

Cephalotes rohweri

Tucson, Arizona, USA

Cephalotes rohweri

Tucson, Arizona, USA

Canon EOS 20D |

More details: exif |

Original size: 3174x2193 |

Current: 800x553 |

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Keywords: bugs ants insect insects arboreal formicidae myrmicinae cephalotes cephalotes rohweri turtle ants turtle ant

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all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013

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