Texas Turtle Ant

Cephalotes texanus

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Superfamily: Formicoidea
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Cephalotes
Species: texanus

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Cephalotes texanus: /sɛfəˈlɔtɛs tɛkˈsanəs/

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Summary

Cephalotes texanus, known as the Texas Turtle Ant, is an arboreal ant species characterized by its unique head structure and ability to glide. It nests in pre-existing cavities created by beetle larvae and feeds on a diverse diet including plant materials and liquid droppings.

Physical Characteristics

Cephalotes texanus has an odd shaped head, adapted for nesting in hollow twigs and beetle larvae burrows. It possesses larger and flatter legs, allowing for gliding. The soldier ants can block entrances to their nests with their heads, utilizing a dorsal ridge for additional protection.

Identification Tips

Look for the unique morphology of the head, which is used in phragmosis, as well as their larger, flatter legs.

Habitat

Nests inside hollow twigs, galls, or in old beetle larva burrows in various trees and shrubs.

Distribution

San Antonio, Texas to San Luis Potosi, Mexico, including Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas.

Diet

Feeds on the surface of plants, pollen grains, honeydew, extrafloral nectar, and may opportunistically prey on small, soft-bodied insects and consume liquid from droppings of various animals.

Ecosystem Role

As a species in the Attini tribe, they play a role in the ecosystem by participating in soil aeration and nutrient cycling, along with being a food source for predators.

Evolution

Cephalotes texanus belongs to a moderately large Neotropical genus characterized by adaptations for arboreal life and phragmotic nesting behavior.