Dinoponera australis, posing on a page from William Morton Wheeler's classic 1910 text "Ants: their structure, development, and behavior". Misiones, Argentina

A gliding ant, Cephalotes atratus, held with forceps prior to a drop. Gamboa, Panama

Dinoponera australis, posing on a page from William Morton Wheeler's classic 1910 text "Ants: their structure, development, and behavior". Misiones, Argentina

Myrmecologist Jo-anne Holley marks an unconscious ant with a unique pattern of paint for laboratory study. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA

Marking an ant with a unique pattern of paint allows researchers to keep track of her activities in a laboratory colony. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA

Cerapachys biroi

An experimental array of video-monitored colonies of the clonal raider ant Cerapachys biroi at Rockefeller University in New York.

Ant versus finger. Harpegnathos saltator was one of the first ants to have its genome sequenced. Laboratory colony at Arizona State University, USA

Temnothorax rugatulus

Temnothorax rugatulus. Ants in this laboratory nest are individually marked with dabs of paint to help researchers at the University of Arizona track their activities. Tucson, Arizona, USA

Temnothorax rugatulus. Ants in this laboratory nest are individually marked with dabs of paint to help researchers at the University of Arizona track their activities. Tucson, Arizona, USA

Temnothorax rugatulus. Ants in this laboratory nest are individually marked with dabs of paint to help researchers at the University of Arizona track their activities. As Temnothorax are hardy ants that adapt well to the laboratory, they are frequently used for studies of ant behavior. Tucson, Arizona, USA

Winkler extraction bags hang in Kibale forest, Uganda. Each contains several mesh sacks filled with leaf litter sifted from the forest. Arthropods walking about in the litter fall out and collect in plastic bags full of ethanol. This method has proven highly productive for sampling the cryptic rainforest micro-fauna, resulting in hundreds of new species.

Winkler extraction bags hang in Kibale forest, Uganda. Each contains several mesh sacks filled with leaf litter sifted from the forest. Arthropods walking about in the litter fall out and collect in plastic bags full of ethanol. This method has proven highly productive for sampling the cryptic rainforest micro-fauna, resulting in hundreds of new species.

An ethanol pack collects insects as they fall from a winkler leaf litter sample. Kibale forest, Uganda

Crematogaster & Cephalotes

In a laboratory colony, a Cephalotes rohweri turtle ant soldier demonstrates how she uses her massive head to block the nest entrance. She is essentially a living door, and will not admit any ants other than her own nestmate. The second ant here is a Crematogaster acrobat ant, perhaps the turtle ants' biggest competitors for living space. Tucson, Arizona, USA

Specimens of Atta leafcutter queens stored in ethanol with samples of their fungus. University of Texas

A laboratory nest of the Arizona Turtle Ant, Cephalotes rohweri. As ants cannot see red, the cellophane allows researchers to observe the ants while maintaining an illusion of darkness. Lab colony at the University of Arizona

Camponotus nigriceps - sugar ant. This image is a focused-stacked composite of 110 exposures taken at different focal depths. Victoria, Australia

A laboratory nest of the Arizona Turtle Ant, Cephalotes rohweri. As ants cannot see red, the cellophane allows researchers to observe the ants while maintaining an illusion of darkness. Lab colony at the University of Arizona

A Malaise trap collects insects in an African rainforest. When insects hit the central netting, they fly upwards towards the light and get caught in the sample jar at the top. As not all species are attracted to lights, Malaise traps have been an important general method for sampling winged ants. Kibale forest, Uganda

A myrmecologist sorts through ant specimens collected from a Malaise trap. Kibale forest, Uganda

Myrmecologists often use baits to study the ecology of ants in the field. Here, Dorymyrmex bureni feed at a honey bait. Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA

Ant specimens preserved in a museum collection.

A queen ant in 15 million year old Dominican amber.

Harpegnathos saltator- one of the first ants slated to have its genome sequenced. Researchers at Arizona State University use unique combinations of paint to keep track of individuals in their study colonies. This ant appears ready for the holidays. Laboratory colony at Arizona State University

A laboratory nest of Aphaenogaster rudis. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA