Escamoles
Guides
Liometopum apiculatum
Escamolera Ant, Velvet Tree Ant
Liometopum apiculatum is a Neotropical dolichoderine ant with significant ecological and economic importance. Colonies are large and polydomous, ranging from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands of workers. The species is notable for its distinctive carton-like nest construction and its role as a traditional food source in Mexico, where the larvae and pupae (escamoles) are harvested. It inhabits diverse arid and semi-arid vegetation types across southwestern North America.