Minor workers of the southeastern Pheidole metallescens are one of North America's few iridescent ants.

Gainesville, Florida, USA
Pheidole metallescens, minor and major workers. Major workers of some species of Pheidole are repletes, storing large amounts of liquid food in their social stomachs.

Gainesville, Florida, USA
Pheidole metallescens, minor and major workers.

Gainesville, Florida, USA
A spiderweb strung across a rainforest leaf has entangled a pair of ants- Azteca (left), and Pheidole (right).

Armenia, Belize
The swollen red abdomen and unusually shrunken head of this Cephalotes porrasi turtle ant suggests she is carrying a parasitic mermithid nematode.

Armenia, Belize
Portrait of the trap-jaw ant Odontomachus rixosus with her jaws open. Note the forward-facing trigger hairs.

Cambodia (laboratory colony at the University of Illinois)
Odontomachus rixosus trap-jaw ant with mandibles in the open (top) and closed (bottom) positions. 

Cambodia (laboratory colony at the University of Illinois)
Lasius neoniger nests are often marked by a pile of excavated soil.

Gainesville, Florida, USA
A spiderweb strung across a rainforest leaf has entangled a pair of ants- Azteca (left), and Pheidole (right).

Armenia, Belize
Minor workers of the southeastern Pheidole metallescens are one of North America's few iridescent ants.

Gainesville, Florida, USA
Minor workers of the southeastern Pheidole metallescens are one of North America's few iridescent ants.

Gainesville, Florida, USA
Minor workers of the southeastern Pheidole metallescens are one of North America's few iridescent ants.

Gainesville, Florida, USA
See photo in original gallery.
all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013