Mycetarotes fungus-growing ant worker in a lab nest. Parque Nacional Iguazu, Argentina; Laboratory colony at the University of Texas
Mycetarotes fungus garden in a lab nest. Male ants, seen here as the winged, dark-colored individuals, perform no labor in the colony, serving instead to disperse the colonies' genes during periodic mating flights outside the nest. Parque Nacional Iguazu, Argentina; Laboratory colony at the University of Texas
Mycetarotes male. His relatively long antennae and large eyes help locate queens during mating flights outside the nest. Winged males and queens serve as a reminder of the wasp ancestry of ants. Parque Nacional Iguazu, Argentina; Laboratory colony at the University of Texas
Mycetarotes, foraging worker. Parque Nacional Iguazu, Argentina; Laboratory colony at the University of Texas