Cephalotes varians turtle ants. To enter her nest in a mangrove twig, a foraging worker must pass the door-guarding soldier whose head is roughly the same size and shape as the entrance. These ants don't build the nests themselves; rather, they inhabit burrows made by beetle larvae.

Florida Keys, USA
Cephalotes varians turtle ants. To enter her nest in a mangrove twig, a foraging worker must pass the door-guarding soldier whose head is roughly the same size and shape as the entrance. These ants don't build the nests themselves; rather, they inhabit burrows made by beetle larvae.

Florida Keys, USA
Many ant colonies keep guards posted at their nest entrances. This Camponotus ephippium ant's head is nearly the same size as the nest entrance, forming a plug that she will only move to let her nestmates come and go.

Victoria, Australia
Many ant colonies keep guards posted at their nest entrances. This Camponotus ephippium ant's head is nearly the same size as the nest entrance, forming a plug that she will only move to let her nestmates come and go.

Victoria, Australia
Cephalotes varians turtle ants. To enter her nest in a mangrove twig, a foraging worker must pass the door-guarding soldier whose head is roughly the same size and shape as the entrance. These ants don't build the nests themselves; rather, they inhabit burrows made by beetle larvae.

Florida Keys, USA
Cephalotes varians turtle ants. To enter her nest in a mangrove twig, a foraging worker must pass the door-guarding soldier whose head is roughly the same size and shape as the entrance. These ants don't build the nests themselves; rather, they inhabit burrows made by beetle larvae.

Florida Keys, USA
Cephalotes varians turtle ants. To enter her nest in a mangrove twig, a foraging worker must pass the door-guarding soldier whose head is roughly the same size and shape as the entrance. These ants don't build the nests themselves; rather, they inhabit burrows made by beetle larvae.

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