Labidus mars is a compact subterranean army ant. It is not commonly seen, but this apparent rarity may be more due to the ants' underground existence than to actual scarcity.

Carrancas, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Nomamyrmex esenbeckii 

Monte Verde, Minas Gerais, Brazil
A small Nomamyrmex esenbeckii worker returns from a successful raid on a Pheidole ant colony.

Monte Verde, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Nomamyrmex esenbeckii workers carrying a massive Pheidole pupa they have taken in a successful raid.

Monte Verde, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Nomamyrmex esenbeckii

Monte Verde, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Nomamyrmex esenbeckii

Monte Verde, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Nomamyrmex hartigii is the rarer of the two Nomamyrmex army ant species.

Maquipucuna reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador
Along the margins of a raid, Eciton hamatum workers create a cache of captured ant brood.

Jatun Sacha reserve, Napo, Ecuador
Army ants live such fast paced lives that they must feed regularly. Not all captured prey makes it back to the bivouac; here, Eciton hamatum workers lap up spilled hemolymph from a captured larva.

Jatun Sacha reserve, Napo, Ecuador
Nomamyrmex hartigii is the rarer of the two Nomamyrmex army ant species.

Maquipucuna reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador
Nomamyrmex hartigii is the rarer of the two Nomamyrmex army ant species.

Maquipucuna reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador
Nomamyrmex hartigii is the rarer of the two Nomamyrmex army ant species.

Maquipucuna reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador
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all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013