Many ant species that live in arid regions have a psammophore, a basket of hairs on the underside of the head that helps transport dry sand. Palm Desert, California, USA
This black harvester ant carries an old battle ornament on her antennae: a Solenopsis xyloni fire ant head capsule. Presumably the fire ant was killed in a fight, but her mandibles had latched so firmly to her opponent that it remains attached even as the rest of her body has fallen away. Anza Borrego, California, USA.
