| Cephalotes rohweri | |
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| Cephalotes rohweri worker | |
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| Species: | C. rohweri |
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| Cephalotes rohweri | |
Cephalotes rohweri is a species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes , characterized by an odd shaped head, and the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on. Giving their name also as gliding ants. [1] [2]
C. rohweri is most commonly found in the Sonoran Desert, where it establishes nests in abandoned beetle cavities in Palo Verde trees ( Parkinsonia florida or Cercidium floridum ). [3] They feed primarily on the pollen of these trees, and thus have little or no need to venture to the ground. However, they are capable of consuming other foods, and it has even been suggested that they may occasionally forage on the ground to do so. Colonies range in size between ~50-200/300 individuals, and frequently have multiple reproductive queens. Because brood require several months to mature into adults, queens cannot adjust the ratio of soldiers to workers quickly enough to adapt to changing threats. Therefore, an effective strategy of soldier (major) deployment has evolved to maximize survival. [4]
Cephalotes is a genus of tree-dwelling ant species from the Americas, commonly known as turtle ants. All appear to be gliding ants, with the ability to "parachute" and steer their fall so as to land back on the tree trunk rather than fall to the ground, which is often flooded.
Cephalotes atratus is a species of arboreal ant in the genus Cephalotes, a genus characterized by its odd shaped head. These ants are known as gliding ants because of their ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they lose their footing.
Cephalotes hirsutus is a species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes, characterized by an odd shaped head and the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on. Giving their name also as gliding ants. The species is native of Mexico, especially of the state of Sinaloa and the vicinity of the city of Morelia. Their larger and flatter legs, a trait common with other members of the genus Cephalotes, gives them their gliding abilities.
Cephalotes integerrimus is an extinct species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes, characterized by an odd shaped head and the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on. Giving their name also as gliding ants. Their larger and flatter legs, a trait common with other members of the genus Cephalotes, gave them their gliding abilities.
Cephalotes jheringi is a species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes, characterized by an odd shaped head and the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on. Giving their name also as gliding ants.
Cephalotes liepini is a species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes, characterized by an odd shaped head and the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on. Giving their name also as gliding ants. The species is native of the Brazilian states of Goiás and Minas Gerais. Their larger and flatter legs, a trait common with other members of the genus Cephalotes, gives them their gliding abilities.
Cephalotes maya is an extinct species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes, characterized by an odd shaped head and the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on. Giving their name also as gliding ants. The species was probably native of the Mexican state of Chiapas, however, lack of more evidence makes this uncertain. Their larger and flatter legs, a trait common with other members of the genus Cephalotes, gave them their gliding abilities.
Cephalotes minutus is a species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes, characterized by an odd shaped head and the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on. Giving their name also as gliding ants. The species is native of a large part of Central and South America, from the Argentinian region of Corrientes in the south, to the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, even to the American state of Texas in the north, making it one of the species with the largest native area of its genus. Their larger and flatter legs, a trait common with other members of the genus Cephalotes, gives them their gliding abilities.
Cephalotes multispinosus is a species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes, characterized by an odd shaped head and the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on. Giving their name also as gliding ants. The species is native of most of Central America, from the Mexican state of Nayarit in the north to Panama in the south. Dubious reports have also been made of the presence of the species in the American states of Texas and Illinois Their larger and flatter legs, a trait common with other members of the genus Cephalotes, gives them their gliding abilities.
Cephalotes nilpiei is a species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes, characterized by an odd shaped head and the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on. Giving their name also as gliding ants. The species is native of the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro. Their larger and flatter legs, a trait common with other members of the genus Cephalotes, gives them their gliding abilities and eases their arboreal movement.
Cephalotes obscurus is an extinct species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes, characterized by an odd shaped head and the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on. Giving their name also as gliding ants. The species was probably native to Hispaniola, however, lack of more evidence makes this uncertain. Their larger and flatter legs, a trait common with other members of the genus Cephalotes, gave them their gliding abilities.
Cephalotes pinelii is a species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes, characterized by an odd shaped head and the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on. Giving their name also as gliding ants.
Cephalotes targionii is a species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes, characterized by an odd shaped head and the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on. Giving their name also as gliding ants.
Cephalotes ventriosus is a species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes, characterized by an odd shaped head and the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on. Giving their name also as gliding ants.
Cephalotes biguttatus is a species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes, characterized by an odd shaped head and the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on. Giving their name also as gliding ants. A member of the multispinosus clade differing from its outgroup species by the presence of gastral spots and from the two ingroups by the superficial sculpture of the worker and soldier, and, in the soldier only, by the absence of cephalic disc.
Cephalotes clypeatus is a species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes, characterized by an odd shaped head and the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on. Giving their name also as gliding ants.
Cephalotes cordatus is a species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes, characterized by an odd shaped head and the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on. Giving their name also as gliding ants. The species is native across the north of South America, from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais to Venezuela, as well as in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. Their larger and flatter legs, a trait common with other members of the genus Cephalotes, gives them their gliding abilities.
Cephalotes laminatus is a species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes, characterized by an odd shaped head, and the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on. Giving their name also as gliding ants. The species is native of the center of South America, from the Brazilian state of Pará in the east to Ecuador and Peru in the west, as well as in the state of Veracruz in Mexico Their larger and flatter legs, a trait common with other members of the genus Cephalotes, gives them their gliding abilities.
Cephalotes porrasi is a species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes, from central America. The soldier caste has the upper part of its head shaped like a disk. The worker caste has the ability to "parachute" by steering its fall if it dropss off a tree, leading the ants to also have been classified as gliding ants.
Cephalotes texanus is a species of arboreal ant of the genus Cephalotes, characterized by an odd shaped head, and the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on. Giving their name also as gliding ants. The species is native of Texas and of the Mexican states of Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosí and Tamaulipas. Their larger and flatter legs, a trait common with other members of the genus Cephalotes, gives them their gliding abilities.
Media related to Cephalotes rohweri at Wikimedia Commons