The pupa of a parasitic eucharitid wasp in a pile of Pheidole ant brood.

Chiricahua Mountains, Airzona, USA
Milichia patrizii, the ant-mugging fly, is a kleptoparasite of Crematogaster ants.

St. Lucia, KZN, South Africa
An ant-mugging fly (Milichia patrizii) chases down Crematogaster ants on a South African tree branch.  If the fly can catch an ant, she will force the ant to feed her.

St. Lucia, KZN, South Africa
An ant-mugging fly (Milichia patrizii) forces a Crematogaster ant to give up her food stores.  South Africa.

St. Lucia, KZN, South Africa
A trio of parasitic phorid flies (Pseudacteon lontrae) hover over an ant nest (Linepithema oblongum) looking for targets.

Termas de Reyes, Jujuy, Argentina
A queen Polyergus breviceps with a host Formica argentea worker.

Sagehen Creek, California, USA
A dulotic colony of the slave-raiding ant Polyergus breviceps and its host, the silver field ant Formica argentea.  

California, USA
Polyergus breviceps slave-raiding ant with its Formica argentea host.  Notice the difference in mandible shape in the two species- the sharp tines in the slave-raider for fighting, and the broad working mandibles in the host.

Sagehen Creek, California, USA
Megalomyrmex adamsae, queen and workers.

Panama; captive colony at the University of Texas
The pupa of a parasitic eucharitid wasp in a pile of Pheidole ant brood.

Chiricahua Mountains, Airzona, USA
The pupa of a parasitic eucharitid wasp in a pile of Pheidole ant brood.

Chiricahua Mountains, Airzona, USA
The pupa of a parasitic eucharitid wasp in a pile of Pheidole ant brood.

Chiricahua Mountains, Airzona, USA
See photo in original gallery.
all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013