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Ants of Zihuatanejo

FAMILY FORMICIDAE

Turtle Ants

Cephalotes pusillus

Turtle ant soldiers (Cephalotes) are tree-dwelling insects with strangely oversized heads, which they use to block the entrances of their nests, essentially acting as living doors.Much like a turtle, they have an outer shell under which they can pull their antennae and legs when danger lurks nearby. Many can also flatten themselves against the ground or even slide beneath bark to hide from predators.

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