Cephalotes rohweri, the Arizona turtle ant. The broad head disc of this soldier is used in nature to block the nest entrance. This species nests in old burrows of wood-boring beetles and constantly faces usurpation by competing ants. Tucson, Arizona, USA
Cephalotes rohweri, the Arizona turtle ant. Tucson, Arizona, 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
