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last updated 30.Nov.2007

Ant Worker Castes

Most ants in a typical colony are sterile females called workers. They forage for food, construct and defend the nest, care for queens and brood, and perform many other labors essential to the maintenance and growth of the colony. A majority of ant species have a monomorphic (single-sized) worker caste, but many species have workers of varying sizes, often specialized for performing different tasks. Some species have morphologically modified workers that are dedicated to nest guarding ("soldiers"), these often have large heads with powerful mandibles. A few species have replete workers that serve as living storage containers, their bodies swollen with liquid food.

Monomorphic

Polymorphic

Soldiers

Repletes

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Monomorphic worker caste:

*Amblyopone oregonensis*	*Aphaenogaster* *picea*	*Crematogaster coarctata*	*Cyphomyrmex wheeleri*
*Dolichoderus* *scabridus*	*Dorymyrmex bicolor*	*Ectatomma tuberculatum*	*Iridomyrmex purpureus*
*Iridomyrmex reburrus*	**Lasius (Acanthomyops) californicus**	**Lasius (Acanthomyops) claviger**	*Lasius umbratus*
*Leptomyrmex rufipes*	Meranoplus sp.	Meranoplus sp.	*Monomorium ergatogyna*
*Monomorium rothsteini*	*Monomorium sydneyense*	Myrmica sp.	*Odontomachus bauri*
*Paratrechina longicornis*	*Pogonomyrmex barbatus*	*Pogonomyrmex maricopa*	*Prenolepis imparis*
*Pseudomyrmex spinicola*	*Pyramica membranifera*	*Rhytidoponera metallica*	*Sphinctomyrmex froggatti*
*Tapinoma sessile*	*Technomyrmex jocosus*	*Temnothorax rugatulus*	*Tetraponera laeviceps*
*Trachymyrmex desertorum*	Trachymyrmex sp.	*Wasmannia auropunctata*	*Wasmannia auropunctata*

Polymorphic worker caste:

*Atta laevigata*	*Atta cephalotes*	*Atta sexdens*	*Camponotus atriceps*
*Camponotus sansabeanus*	*Camponotus ulcerosus*	*Cephalotes rohweri*	*Anoplolepis custodiens*
*Crematogaster smithi*	*Eciton burchelli*	*Eciton burchelli*	*Formica obscuripes*
*Labidus praedator*	Melophorus sp.	*Myrmecocystus* *navajo*	*Mystrium mysticum*
*Mystrium mysticum*	*Neivamyrmex nigrescens*	*Nomamyrmex esenbeckii*	*Oecophylla smaragdina*
Oligomyrmex sp.	*Orectognathus* *versicolor*	*Pheidole barbata*	*Pheidole barbata*
*Pheidole rhea*	*Pheidole californica*	*Pheidole rugulosa*	*Pheidole xerophila*
Pheidole sp.	Pheidole sp.	Pheidole sp.	*Pheidologeton affinis*
*Pheidologeton affinis*	*Pheidologeton affinis*	*Solenopsis amblychila*	*Solenopsis xyloni*

Soldiers:

*Eciton burchelli*	*Eciton burchelli*	*Atta cephalotes*	*Atta colombica*
**Camponotus (Colobopsis) conithorax**	*Camponotus ephippium*	*Camponotus ulcerosus*	*Camponotus ulcerosus*
*Cephalotes umbraculatus*	*Cephalotes rohweri*	*Cephalotes rohweri*	*Cephalotes rohweri*
*Labidus praedator*	*Labidus praedator*	*Orectognathus* *versicolor*	*Pheidole dentata*
*Pheidole rhea*	*Pheidologeton affinis*

Repletes:

*Myrmecocystus* *mexicanus*	*Myrmecocystus* *mexicanus*	*Myrmecocystus* *mexicanus*	*Myrmecocystus* *mexicanus*
*Myrmecocystus* *mexicanus*	*Leptomyrmex darlingtoni*	Leptomyrmex sp.	Leptomyrmex sp.
Pheidole sp.	*Prenolepis imparis*	*Prenolepis imparis*	*Prenolepis imparis*

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