Turtle Ant

TURTLE ANT

Cephalote which is also known as the ‘Turtle ant’. It is a very distinctive genus of over 130 species which can be immediately identify by the dimorphic or polymorphic worker caste, heavily armoured cuticle, flattened head, deeply excavated antennal scrobe capable of receiving the entire antennae, large eyes situated at the apex of the antennal scrobe.  The sole purpose of this strange adaptation is more or less that of a living cork, that perfectly sealing off the entrance of the colony, rather than constructing one of their own. These ants typically colonize the abandoned tunnels of wood-boring beetles, their plug-heads adapted to just the right size for just the right beetle burrows. Sometimes they also reign the hollowed out vegetation that is still standing, including in living plants with compromised cavities. The fascinating feature of this species made them a perfect soldier to guard their colony. These soldiers serve as living doors that open to admit incoming foragers and effectively exclude potential intruders. In addition to their highly specialized headgear, some turtle ants are also adapted to glide back to the tree if they are knocked from it. Their aerodynamic bodies allow them to steer and swoop back to their home tree should they fall from the branches rather than fall to the ground. This ant species are commonly found abundant in southern Arizona, southern Texas, and southern Florida. Click here for the video.

You can imagine that once a hole is plugged, this guy is not going to let anything in unless he wants to.