Adult Stigmatomma cannot eat solid food and are incapable of the trophallaxis behavior that allows most other ant species to share food among nestmates. Instead, they have developed a novel way to feed themselves: consuming the hemolymph of nestmate larvae. Ants puncture vulnerable spots in the larval skin- as the ant in the center demonstrates- and lap up the drops of hemolymph. (Stigmatomma oregonensis) Quincy, California, 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