Soldier ant jaws. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head of a leaf-cutter ant (Atta sexdens). This is a soldier ant, which is an ant

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Soldier ant jaws. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head of a leaf-cutter ant (Atta sexdens). This is a soldier ant, which is an ant that is adapted to its role of defending the ant colony from attack. It has these powerful jaws that can inflict painful bites and kill animals its own size. The compound eyes are seen at right and left, with the two sensory antennae attached to the head above the jaws, and branching out over the eyes. One of the simple eyes (ocelli) is at top centre. Leaf-cutter ants cut plant leaves and use them to cultivate the fungus that is the colony's food source. Magnification: when printed 10cm wide.

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Size: 3600px × 2546px
Photo credit: © STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: anatomical, anatomy, animal, ant, antenna, antennae, atta, biological, biology, caste, coloured, defence, defensive, entomology, eye, eyes, false-colour, false-coloured, fauna, head, insect, invertebrate, invertebrates, jaw, jaws, leaf-cutter, mandible, mandibles, morph, mouth, mouthpart, mouthparts, nature, ocelli, ocellus, sem, sexdens, single, soldier, wildlife, zoological, zoology