Technomyrmex difficilis. Ants, like butterflies, have complete metamorphosis. They pass through egg, larva, and pupa phases on the way to maturity, all visible in this nest of white-footed ants. St. Lucia, KZN, South Africa
An ant worker tends to brood in the fungus garden. Note how the eggs and larvae are embedded within the fluffy white hyphae of the fungus. Parque Soberania, Panama; Laboratory colony at the University of Texas
Technomyrmex difficilis, brood nest with workers and developing larvae and pupae. This African species has become a pest in warm climates around the world. St. Lucia, KZN, South Africa
