On a cold spring day, Messor andrei harvester ants cluster around their nest entrance to warm up in the sun before heading out to forage.

Frank Raines State Park, California, USA
On a cold spring day, Messor andrei harvester ants cluster around their nest entrance to warm up in the sun before heading out to forage.

Frank Raines State Park, California, USA
On a cold spring day, Messor andrei harvester ants cluster around their nest entrance to warm up in the sun before heading out to forage.

Frank Raines State Park, California, USA
A fallen robber fly quickly attracts ants.  In the heat of mid-day, a thermophilic Forelius is the only species that tolerates the hot sand.  

Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA
A fallen robber fly quickly attracts ants.  In the heat of mid-day, the thermophilic Forelius is the only species that tolerates the hot sand.  

Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA
In mid-winter, Crematogaster coarctata acrobat ants huddle together under a sun-warmed rock.  

Calistoga, California, USA
On a cold spring day, Messor andrei harvester ants cluster around their nest entrance to warm up in the sun before heading out to forage.

Frank Raines State Park, California, USA
On a cold spring day, Messor andrei harvester ants cluster around their nest entrance to warm up in the sun before heading out to forage.

Frank Raines State Park, California, USA
On a cold spring day, Messor andrei harvester ants cluster around their nest entrance to warm up in the sun before heading out to forage.

Frank Raines State Park, California, USA
See photo in original gallery.
all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013