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Atta cephalotes - Leafcutter Ants
Panamá

photograph © Alex Wild 2007

A small leafcutter worker atop a leaf guards her sister against attacks by parasitic flies.  Ants carrying leaves cannot use their mandibles for defense, so they carry hitchhikers to ward off the parasites.

 
Panamá, Panamá.: Gamboa
09º07.0'N 79º42.1'W 35m. 28.vii.2007
Trail of ants along tree trunk and exposed roots.

This image is copyrighted by the photographer and cannot be used without permission. To obtain permission to use this image, please email Alex Wild. (alwild (at) myrmecos.net).  Most of the photographs on myrmecos.net are reduced from their original size and compressed for more efficient web transmission.  In some cases, higher quality versions are available.

This image was captured with a Canon EOS 20D, using a Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens.