Trachymyrmex foragers bring bits of detritus back to the nest.

Icononzo, Tolima, Colombia
Mycetarotes fungus garden in a lab nest.  Male ants, seen here as the winged, dark-colored individuals, perform no labor in the colony, serving instead to disperse the colonies' genes during periodic mating flights outside the nest.

Parque Nacional Iguazu, Argentina; Laboratory colony at the University of Texas
Mycetarotes fungus garden in a lab nest.  Male ants, seen here as the winged, dark-colored individuals, perform no labor in the colony, serving instead to disperse the colonies' genes during periodic mating flights outside the nest.

Parque Nacional Iguazu, Argentina; Laboratory colony at the University of Texas
Mycetarotes fungus garden in a lab nest.  The winged ants are males.

Parque Nacional Iguazu, Argentina; Laboratory colony at the University of Texas
Mycetarotes fungus-growing ant worker in a lab nest.

Parque Nacional Iguazu, Argentina; Laboratory colony at the University of Texas
Trachymyrmex foragers bring bits of detritus back to the nest.

Icononzo, Tolima, Colombia
Trachymyrmex foragers bring bits of detritus back to the nest.

Icononzo, Tolima, Colombia
Trachymyrmex foragers bring bits of detritus back to the nest.

Icononzo, Tolima, Colombia
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all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013