Nomamyrmex esenbeckii

Tank army ants along pipeline road in Gamboa, Panama.

Nomamyrmex esenbeckii

A tank army ant carrying a larva. The bright red color indicates a relatively young age for this worker. Gamboa, Panama.

Nomamyrmex esenbeckii

Monte Verde, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Nomamyrmex esenbeckii

Monte Verde, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Nomamyrmex esenbeckii & Atta

Nomamyrmex army ants are among the few animals that successfully attack leafcutter ant nests. The leafcutters are not without their defenses. Here two Atta workers attack and kill a Nomamyrmex esenbeckii scout, preventing the army ants from discovering the leafcutter's trail. Gamboa, Panama

Nomamyrmex esenbeckii

A soldier of Nomamyrmex esenbeckii, the most heavily armored of the army ants. As these ants are predators of the giant Atta leafcutting ants, they require stout, sturdy appendages to withstand the slicing mandibles of their prey. Gamboa, Panama

Nomamyrmex esenbeckii

Army ant colonies typically contain workers of many sizes, each specialized for a different task. Here a Nomamyrmex esenbeckii worker stands guard over a passing column. Gamboa, Panama

Nomamyrmex esenbeckii

A busy trail in a Panamanian rainforest. Gamboa, Panama

Nomamyrmex esenbeckii

The extra thick appendages of tank army ants help them better survive the defenses of their preferred prey- leafcutter ants. Brownsville, Texas, USA.

Nomamyrmex esenbeckii

A dominant element in many Neotropical forests, the tank army ant Nomamyrmex esenbeckii's range extends into the very southern tip of Texas in the United States. These ants were collected near Brownsville.

Nomamyrmex esenbeckii

Nomamyrmex esenbeckii is a master predator of other ants. Here, a worker carries off a Pheidole soldier she has paralyzed, transporting the prey in typical army ant style- slung under her body. Monte Verde, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Nomamyrmex esenbeckii

Tank army ant workers carrying a massive Pheidole pupa they have taken in a successful raid. Monte Verde, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Nomamyrmex esenbeckii

A small Nomamyrmex esenbeckii worker returns from a successful raid on a Pheidole ant colony. Monte Verde, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Nomamyrmex esenbeckii

Monte Verde, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Nomamyrmex hartigii

Nomamyrmex hartigii is the rarer of the two Nomamyrmex army ant species. Maquipucuna reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador