Sphinctomyrmex froggatti

Yandoit, Victoria, Australia
A raid of Aenictus aratus in an Australian rain forest.

Cape Tribulation, Queensland, Australia
Sphinctomyrmex sp. nr. trux, worker foraging in a rotting log.

Iron Range National Park, Queensland, Australia
Sphinctomyrmex froggatti

Yandoit, Victoria, Australia
Neivamyrmex pilosus is among the more commonly encountered of the Neotropical army ants.  Like most Neivamyrmex species, they are specialist predators on other ants.  However, this species is unusual in its preference for arboreal (or tree-nesting) ants.  I observed this colony taking Azteca, Crematogaster, and Brachymyrmex. 

Gamboa, Panama
Dorylus helvolus

St. Lucia, KZN, South Africa
Dorylus helvolus is a polymorphic species, having worker ants of varying sizes that specialize on different tasks.

St. Lucia, KZN, South Africa
Dorylus helvolus.  Driver ants have lost their eyes over the course of evolution.  These predatory ants navigate instead using their keen senses of touch and smell.  Most Dorylus species are subterranean where eyesight is of limited use.

St. Lucia, KZN, South Africa
Dorylus helvolus, soldier.  This widespread African species is blind and largely subterranean.

St. Lucia, KZN, South Africa
Dorylus helvolus is a polymorphic species, having worker ants of varying sizes that specialize on different tasks.

St. Lucia, KZN, South Africa
Dorylus helvolus is a polymorphic species, having worker ants of varying sizes that specialize on different tasks.

St. Lucia, KZN, South Africa
Dorylus helvolus is a polymorphic species, having worker ants of varying sizes that specialize on different tasks.

St. Lucia, KZN, South Africa
See photo in original gallery.
all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013