Prosopocoilus sp. (Lucanidae)

Cape Tribulation, Queensland, Australia
Formica montana

Lake Forest, Illinois, USA
Cicindela sexguttata - six spotted tiger beetle

Urbana, Illinois, USA
The bizarre mandibles of Leptogenys falcigera are presumably related to a predatory specialization on isopods.

Hawaii
Eciton burchellii soldier.

Jatun Sacha reserve, Napo, Ecuador
An Eciton hamatum soldier uses her ice-tong mandibles to latch on to the photographer's skin.  This gives her the leverage to use her stinger (at the read end of the animal) and makes her very difficult to remove.

Jatun Sacha reserve, Napo, Ecuador
An Eciton hamatum soldier uses her ice-tong mandibles to latch on to the photographer's skin.  This gives her the leverage to use her stinger (at the read end of the animal) and makes her very difficult to remove.

Jatun Sacha reserve, Napo, Ecuador
An Eciton burchellii soldier brandishes her hooked mandibles. These unwieldy weapons are designed to grab vertebrate predators and deter them from stealing the army ants' own catch.

Jatun Sacha reserve, Napo, Ecuador
An Eciton burchellii soldier brandishes her hooked mandibles. These unwieldy weapons are designed to grab vertebrate predators and deter them from stealing the army ants' own catch.

Jatun Sacha reserve, Napo, Ecuador
Cicindela sexguttata - six spotted tiger beetle

Urbana, Illinois, USA
Cicindela sexguttata - six spotted tiger beetle

Urbana, Illinois, USA
Cicindela sexguttata - six spotted tiger beetle

Urbana, Illinois, USA
See photo in original gallery.
all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013