Polyrhachis (Cyrtomyrma) sp. This weaver ant colony has made a nest by folding a leaf and sealing the open ends with silk and debris. Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia
Although the most famous weaver ants are in the genus Oecophylla, many weaving species also occur in Polyrhachis. Here, a Polyrhachis (Cyrtomyrma) robsoni worker sits atop a nest fashioned from a rolled leaf. The leaf is bound by silk spun from the ants' larvae. Cape Tribulation, Queensland, Australia
Not all ground-dwelling ants live in direct contact with the soil. Some species, like this Polyrhachis (Campomymra) sp., line their nest cavities with wood pulp. Others may use silk or a fungal carton matrix. Yandoit, Victoria, Australia.
