Ants of Zihuatanejo

TURTLE ANTS

• Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

• Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

• Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

• Insects (Class Insecta)

• Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

• Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies (Order Hymenoptera)

• Narrow-waisted Wasps, Ants, and Bees (Suborder Apocrita)

• Ants, Bees, and Stinging Wasps (Infraorder Aculeata)

• Superfamily Formicoidea

• Ants (Family Formicidae)

• Myrmicine Ants (Subfamily Myrmicinae)

• Turtle Ants (Genus Cephalotes)

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Genus Cephalotes comprises a remarkable group of arboreal ants commonly known as turtle ants. Found primarily in the tropical and subtropical forests of the Americas, these ants are distinguished by their heavily armoured bodies and uniquely shaped heads. In many species, soldiers possess flattened, disc-like heads that are used to block nest entrances, protecting the colony from predators and rival ants. Cephalotes ants nest in preexisting cavities in trees and branches rather than excavating their own nests. Their diet consists mainly of plant-derived materials, nectar, pollen, honeydew, and other organic matter.