Pogonomyrmex badius, the Florida harvester ant, queen. Her enlarged thorax holds muscles from younger days when she had wings for dispersing from her natal nest. Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA
Multiple queens in the nest of a polygynous ant, Pheidole desertorum Mojave National Preserve, California, USA
A queen ant carries a hefty load of mites. Ant colonies often host many species of mites, although the biology of each is typically unknown. Brackenridge Field Laboratory, Texas, USA.