Early morning sun catches a mating flight of Forelius mccooki in the Sonoran desert.

Tucson, Arizona, USA
A Cephalotes atratus gliding ant in mid-air.  Rainforest canopy ants risk losing contact with their colonies if they fall from their home trees to the dark, alien forest floor some 30-40 meters below.  Canopy-dwellers can guard against getting lost by gliding back to the tree trunks before the fall too far.

Gamboa, Panama
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis, the western harvester ants, mating

Hallelujah Junction, California, USA
Solenopsis sp., a male thief ant prepares to depart on a nighttime mating flight. 

Tucson, Arizona, USA
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis, the western harvester ants, mating

Hallelujah Junction, California, USA
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis, the western harvester ants, mating

Hallelujah Junction, California, USA
Early morning sun catches a mating flight of Forelius mccooki in the Sonoran desert.

Tucson, Arizona, USA
Early morning sun catches a mating flight of Forelius maccooki in the Sonoran desert.

Tucson, Arizona, USA
Early morning sun catches a mating flight of Forelius maccooki in the Sonoran desert.

Tucson, Arizona, USA
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis, the western harvester ants, mating

Hallelujah Junction, California, USA
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis, the western harvester ants, mating

Hallelujah Junction, California, USA
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis, the western harvester ants, mating

Hallelujah Junction, California, USA
See photo in original gallery.
all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013