Ant head. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head of an Ectatomma sp. ant. The compound eyes (blue) are at either side of the head. Th

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Ant head. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head of an Ectatomma sp. ant. The compound eyes (blue) are at either side of the head. The jointed antennae protrude from the centre of the head behind the mouthparts. The antennae are used for touch and smell. At the front of the head (bottom right) are the mandibles, which are used for hunting, carrying and fighting. In Ectatomma sp. the mandibles are particularly enlarged for carrying droplets of nectar that the ants collect from the nectaries of flowers. Ants are related to bees and wasps. They are social insects and form large colonies. Magnification unknown.

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Size: 5100px × 3466px
Photo credit: © THIERRY BERROD, MONA LISA PRODUCTION/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, ant, antenna, coloured, ectatomma, eye, head, hymenoptera, hymenopteran, insect, insecta, invertebrate, invertebrates, mandible, mandibles, mouth, mouthparts, nature, sem, sp., wildlife, zoology