Pogonomyrmex micans worker grappling with a seed.  Seed-harvesting ants store their finds in underground chambers, where their cache helps them survice periods of dearth.

Frías, Santiago de Estero, Argentina
Pogonomyrmex micans

Frías, Santiago de Estero, Argentina
Pogonomyrmex micans worker grappling with a seed.  Seed-harvesting ants store their finds in underground chambers, where their cache helps them survice periods of dearth.

Frías, Santiago de Estero, Argentina
The chaco leafcutter ant Atta vollenweideri forms the largest colonies of any social animal on earth.  Mature nests such as the mound pictured here may contain several million ants.  Note the cleared foraging trail leading away from the nest in the foreground.

Resistencia, Chaco, Argentina
The chaco leafcutter ant Atta vollenweideri forms the largest colonies of any social animal on earth.  Mature nests such as the mound pictured here may contain several million ants.

Resistencia, Chaco, Argentina
A nest of Pheidole in the dry chaco.

Mcal. Estigarribia, Boquerón, Paraguay
Pogonomyrmex micans

Frías, Santiago de Estero, Argentina
A nest of Forelius nigriventris in the Paraguayan chaco.

Mcal. Estigarribia, Paraguay
Ventillation tunnels on a mound of the chaco leafcutter ant Atta vollenweideri.

Resistencia, Chaco, Argentina
Pogonomyrmex micans worker grappling with a seed. Seed-harvesting ants store their finds in underground chambers, where their cache helps them survice periods of dearth.

Frías, Santiago de Estero, Argentina
Pogonomyrmex micans worker grappling with a seed.  Seed-harvesting ants store their finds in underground chambers, where their cache helps them survice periods of dearth.

Frías, Santiago de Estero, Argentina
Pogonomyrmex micans worker grappling with a seed. Seed-harvesting ants store their finds in underground chambers, where their cache helps them survice periods of dearth.

Frías, Santiago de Estero, Argentina
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all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013