Platythyrea conradti ants tending to a cocoon inside the colony's nest. This African ant lives in the hollow crevices and dead branches of trees in tr

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Platythyrea conradti ants tending to a cocoon inside the colony's nest. This African ant lives in the hollow crevices and dead branches of trees in tropical forests, with colonies consisting of about 300-500 adults. It is a primitive species of ant, where the nymph (juvenile) forms a silk cocoon in its final stage of development. The adult ant feeds mainly on moth caterpillars and small winged insects. It also has a venomous sting, which it inherited from its wasp ancestors. Photographed in the Lamto Ecological Station, Cote d'Ivoire.

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Size: 5165px × 3444px
Photo credit: © PATRICK LANDMANN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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