Ant-association
Guides
Asagena fulva
Red-and-white Asagena
Asagena fulva is a small cobweb spider in the family Theridiidae, found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Females range from 3–5.9 mm in body length, males from 2.4–5 mm. The species appears distinctly redder with more white markings than its congener A. americana. It has been observed in association with harvester ant nests, suggesting possible ant specialization.
Belonopterygini
Ant-loving Lacewings
Belonopterygini is a tribe of green lacewings within the family Chrysopidae, commonly known as Ant-loving Lacewings. Members of this tribe exhibit myrmecophilous associations, with larvae living in arboreal ant nests. Larvae possess distinctive morphological adaptations that appear to defend them against ant aggression. The tribe includes at least the genus Italochrysa, with species documented from Australia and Europe.
Flatinae
Flatinae is a subfamily of planthoppers within the family Flatidae, erected by Maximilian Spinola in 1839. Adults are distinguished by bodies that are flattened laterally and tegmina held in a tent-like posture, unlike the related Flatoidinae. The subfamily is cosmopolitan in tropical and subtropical regions, with records from all continents except Antarctica.
Lecanodiaspididae
false pit scales, lecanodiaspidids
Lecanodiaspididae is a family of scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) commonly known as false pit scales. Members are found worldwide but are most diverse in the Far East. The family comprises approximately 12 described genera including Lecanodiaspis, Anomalococcus, and Pterococcus. These insects are phloem-feeders that develop waxy, protective coverings over their bodies.
Lycaenidae
gossamer-winged butterflies, blues, coppers, hairstreaks, harvesters
Lycaenidae is the second-largest butterfly family worldwide, comprising over 6,000 species that constitute approximately 30% of known butterfly diversity. Members are commonly called gossamer-winged butterflies, blues, coppers, hairstreaks, or harvesters depending on subfamily. The family is distinguished by intimate ecological associations with ants, with roughly 75% of species exhibiting myrmecophily—relationships ranging from mutualistic to parasitic.
Myrmecoblatta
Ant Cockroaches
Myrmecoblatta is a genus of small cockroaches in the family Corydiidae, commonly called ant cockroaches. These insects are myrmecophiles, living in close association with ant colonies. The genus was established by Mann in 1914 and contains species found in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America. They represent a specialized evolutionary lineage adapted to life within ant nests.
Myrmecophilidae
Ant Crickets, Ant-loving Crickets
Myrmecophilidae, commonly known as ant crickets or ant-loving crickets, are a small family of Orthoptera comprising fewer than 100 species across several genera. These minute, wingless crickets are obligate inquilines that live exclusively within ant nests, where they exhibit specialized morphological adaptations including reduced eyes, elongated antennae, and flattened bodies. The family has a global distribution with records from North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Pacific islands, though many species remain poorly documented. Members of this family do not produce sound and lack both wings and tympanal organs.
Onthophilus
clown beetles
Onthophilus is a genus of clown beetles (family Histeridae) containing over 40 described species. The genus has a fossil record extending back approximately 100 million years, with specimens preserved in Burmese amber. A Cretaceous relative, Cretonthophilus tuberculatus, provides exceptional insight into early histerid morphology and potential ecological associations.
Parcoblatta americana
Western Wood Cockroach
Parcoblatta americana, the western wood cockroach, is a species native to Mexico and the western United States. The species exhibits significant sexual dimorphism in wing development: males possess fully developed tegmina and wings, while females have greatly reduced tegmina and lack hind wings entirely. Both sexes display considerable color variation, ranging from dark brown or blackish to pale yellowish or reddish tan in males, and from reddish orange to dark brown or black in females. The species has been documented in association with harvester ant nests and pack rat houses.
Parcoblatta bolliana
Boll's Wood Cockroach, Boll's Wood Roach
Parcoblatta bolliana is a small wood cockroach species native to the United States, measuring approximately 11 mm in length. Males are slender with long, functional wings, while females are stouter with reduced tegmina and no functional hindwings. First-instar nymphs have been documented living in ant nests of Cremastogaster lineolata in Kansas, though adults are not found in these associations. The species occupies diverse habitats including pine woods, grasslands, and decaying wood debris.
Plebejus neurona
Sierra Nevada Blue
Plebejus neurona, known as the Sierra Nevada Blue, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. The species is closely related to and was formerly classified within the genus Lycaena. Like other members of its family, it exhibits a close ecological relationship with ants during its larval stage.
Polyxenus
Polyxenus is a genus of bristly millipedes in the order Polyxenida, the sole extant genus of the family Polyxenidae. These small millipedes are characterized by their distinctive tufts of setae (bristles) and are notable for being among the most morphologically derived millipedes, having lost many ancestral diplopod traits. The genus contains at least 30 valid species and has a broad geographic distribution across multiple continents. Polyxenus species are frequently found in association with ants, serving as either symbionts or specialized prey.
Pseudomorphini
false-form beetles
Pseudomorphini is a tribe of ground beetles (Carabidae) distinguished by their evolutionary divergence from typical carabid body plans. Members are known for obligate associations with ants, living within ant colonies. The tribe includes the recently described Guyanemorpha spectabilis from French Guiana, which exhibits exceptional size and coloration compared to the generally dull-colored Western Hemisphere species. Research on these beetles remains challenging due to their arboreal ant-nest habitats.
Rhaphiomidas
flower-loving flies
Rhaphiomidas is a genus of mydid flies comprising fewer than 30 species and subspecies restricted to desert regions of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Adults are active for brief periods in spring or fall, with multiple species in the same dune system often separated by seasonal timing. Several taxa are critically endangered due to habitat loss from development and recreational disturbance.
Scolopostethus pacificus
Scolopostethus pacificus is a myrmecophilous dirt-colored seed bug that lives in close proximity to nests of the velvety tree ant (Liometopum occidentale). Unlike many ant-associated parasites that rely on chemical deception through cuticular hydrocarbon mimicry, this species employs chemical weaponry—releasing volatile compounds from its metathoracic glands to moderate encounters with its aggressive host. Molecular gut barcoding has confirmed that S. pacificus does not feed on its host ant, distinguishing its relationship as commensal or inquiline rather than parasitic. The species is native to western North America.