MYRMICINAE - HARVESTER ANTS, FIRE ANTS ETC
Because of the size of this subfamily it has been split onto two pages. Click here to see the next page covering the genera Pheidole to Solenopsis.
Many thanks to Alex Wild at www.myrmecos.net for his work on Paraguayan ants and his permission to reproduce much of the information included in the ant sections of the FAUNA Paraguay page.
Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law. Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay. Photographs on this web-site were taken by Paul Smith, Hemme Batjes, Regis Nossent,
Alberto Esquivel, Arne Lesterhuis, Rebbeca Zarza, José Luis Cartes and Hugo del Castillo and are used with their permission.
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Gallery 1 - Acromyrex "Leafcutter Ants" - Leafcutter ants cut vegetation to feed a fungus cultivated within their nests. The fungus serves as food for the ants. This genus is found only in the Neotropics.(www.myrmecos.net)
FIGURE 1a - Acromyrex fracticornis - Pozo Colorado, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 1b - Acromyrex fracticornis nest entrance - Pozo Colorado, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 1c - Acromyrmex heyeri - San Miguel, Departamento Misiones (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 1d - Acromyrmex heyeri thatch mound nest - Pilar, Departamento Ñeembucú (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 1e - Acromyrex rugosus winged queen - San Lorenzo, Departamento Central (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 1f - Acromyrex sp nr crassispinus - Departamento Ñeembucú (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
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Gallery 2 - Atta "Leafcutter Ants" - Leafcutter ants cut vegetation to feed a fungus cultivated within their nests. The fungus serves as food for the ants. This genus is found only in the Neotropics. Colonies can be immense, persist for decades and contain over a million individuals - as a result they can be damaging egological pests. Baraiamyrma - A very rare genus known only from a few queen specimens collected in Paraguay and Venezuela. Cephalotes "Turtle Ants" - Heavily-armoured, arboreal ants confined to the Neotropics. Most species are polymorphic with a soldier caste that uses their large heads to block the nest entrance. (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 2a - Atta laevigata worker (left) and soldier (right) - Mbaracayú Biosphere Reserve, Departamento Canindeyú (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 2b - Atta laevigata queen excavating nest - Mbaracayú Biosphere Reserve, Departamento Canindeyú (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 2c - Atta vollenweideri  - Mariscal Estigarribia, Departamento Boquerón (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 2d - Atta vollenweideri mound nest - Departamento Presidente Hayes (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 2e - Baraiamyrma hispidula queen - San Lorenzo, Departamento Central (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 2f - Cephalotes persimilis - Departamento Ñeembucú (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
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Gallery 3 - Cephalotes "Turtle Ants" - Heavily-armoured, arboreal ants confined to the Neotropics. Most species are polymorphic with a soldier caste that uses their large heads to block the nest entrance. (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 3a - Cephalotes clypeatus - Mbaracayú Biosphere Reserve, Departamento Canindeyú (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 3b - Cephalotes clypeatus nest-blocking - Departamento Ñeembucú (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 3c - Cephalotes clypeatus nest-blocking - Departamento Ñeembucú (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 3d - Cephalotes pusillus nest with larvae - Mbaracayú Biosphere Reserve, Departamento Canindeyú (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 3e - Cephalotes pusillus nest with larvae - Mbaracayú Biosphere Reserve, Departamento Canindeyú (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 3f - Cephalotes pusillus major worker nest guarding - Mbaracayú Biosphere Reserve, Departamento Canindeyú (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
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Gallery 4 - Crematogaster "Acrobat Ants" - Acrobat Ants are common, ecologically diverse and found across the globe. They are easily recognisable by their unusually shaped abdomens (www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 4a - Crematogaster acuta  - Mbaracayú Biosphere Reserve, Departamento Canindeyú (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 4b - Crematogaster acuta - Mbaracayú Biosphere Reserve, Departamento Canindeyú (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 4c - Crematogaster cisplatinalis at nest - San Miguel, Departamento Misiones (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 4d - Crematogaster corticicola - Mbaracayú Biosphere Reserve, Departamento Canindeyú (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 4e - Crematogaster corticicola - Mbaracayú Biosphere Reserve, Departamento Canindeyú (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 4f - Crematogaster crinosa complex sp. - Departamento Ñeembucú (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
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Gallery 5 Mycetarotes - A small fungus-cultivating genus confined to the Neotropics. Mycetophylax - Another small fungus-cultivating species found in open, sandy areas.
FIGURE 5a - Mycetarotes parallelus  - Mbaracayú Biosphere Reserve, Departamento Canindeyú (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 5b - Mycetophylax emeryi - Mariscal Estigarribia, Departamento Boquerón (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 5c - Mycetophylax emeryi - Mariscal Estigarribia, Departamento Boquerón (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 5d - Mycetophylax emeryi nest - Mariscal Estigarribia, Departamento Boquerón (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
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Mycocepurus goeldii - Departamento Concepción (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).
FIGURE 5f -
Mycocepurus goeldii nest entrance with caterpillar frass - Departamento Concepción (Alex Wild www.myrmecos.net).