Portrait of Cephalotes clypeatus, the golden turtle ant. This image is a composite of about 20 photographs taken at different focal depths and digitally combined.

Mbaracayú forest reserve, Paraguay
Messor pergandei harvester ant. Many ant species that live in arid regions have a psammophore, a basket of hairs on the underside of the head that helps transport dry sand.

Palm Desert, California, USA
Notoncus ectatommoides 

Bright, Victoria, Australia
Notoncus ectatommoides is instantly recognizeable by the unusually sharp tubercle emerging from the scutellum (the middle part of the thorax).

Bright, Victoria, Australia
Notoncus ectatommoides 

Bright, Victoria, Australia
Notoncus ectatommoides is instantly recognizeable by the unusually sharp tubercle emerging from the scutellum (the middle part of the thorax).

Bright, Victoria, Australia
Portrait of Cephalotes clypeatus, the golden turtle ant. This image is a composite of about 20 photographs taken at different focal depths and digitally combined.

Mbaracayú forest reserve, Paraguay
Portrait of Cephalotes clypeatus, the golden turtle ant. This image is a composite of about 20 photographs taken at different focal depths and digitally combined.

Mbaracayú forest reserve, Paraguay
Portrait of Cephalotes clypeatus, the golden turtle ant. This image is a composite of about 20 photographs taken at different focal depths and digitally combined.

Mbaracayú forest reserve, Paraguay
See photo in original gallery.
all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013