Common Giant Turtle Ant
Cephalotes atratus
When knocked off a branch, they can glide backwards through the air to land safely on the trunk of their home tree.
- Scientific name
- Cephalotes atratus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Hymenoptera › Formicidae › Cephalotes
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Tropical rainforest canopy and tree trunks
- Diet
- Omnivorous, feeding on extrafloral nectar, honeydew, pollen, and carrion
- Range
- Central America, South America, Amazon Rainforest
- Size
- 8-14 mm in length
- Lifespan
- Workers live 6-12 months; queens can live several years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Deforestation, canopy habitat fragmentation, and pesticide use.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless but defensive if handled. Maintain a safe distance and observe them on tree trunks without touching. If handled, they may pinch with their mandibles. If bitten, wash the area with soap and water.
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.
Photo: Jonghyun Park, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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