These weaver ants have fastened together leaflets of a Schefflera tree to form a hanging nest. The white parts are silk spun by the ants' larvae.

Cairns, Queensland, Australia
These weaver ants have fastened together leaflets of a Schefflera tree to form a hanging nest. The white parts are silk spun by the ants' larvae.

Cairns, Queensland, Australia
These weaver ants have fastened together leaflets of a Schefflera tree to form a hanging nest. The white parts are silk spun by the ants' larvae.

Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Turneria bidentata worker carrying a larva to safety after the photographer disturbed her nest.

Cape Tribulation, Queensland, Australia
Arboreal Tetraponera nest in hollow spaces of twigs and branches.  The ants' slender bodies allow them to maneuver in narrow spaces. (Tetraponera laeviceps).

Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia
Polyrhachis (Cyrtomyrma) sp.  This weaver ant colony has made a nest by folding a leaf and sealing the open ends with silk and debris.

Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia
Winter leaf drop reveals a number of old Oecophylla smaragdina green tree ant nests.  The ants have moved on, but the signs of their presence remain.  Tree ants are polydomous, so the nests likely all belonged to a single colony.

Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia
Major and minor workers of Cephalotes rohweri, the Arizona turtle ant. 

Tucson, Arizona, USA
Cephalotes rohweri, the Arizona turtle ant.

Tucson, Arizona, USA
These weaver ants have fastened together leaflets of a Schefflera tree to form a hanging nest. The white parts are silk spun by the ants' larvae.

Cairns, Queensland, Australia
These weaver ants have fastened together leaflets of a Schefflera tree to form a hanging nest. The white parts are silk spun by the ants' larvae.

Cairns, Queensland, Australia
These weaver ants have fastened together leaflets of a Schefflera tree to form a hanging nest. The white parts are silk spun by the ants' larvae.

Cairns, Queensland, Australia
See photo in original gallery.
all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013