| Cephalotes | |
|---|---|
| |
| Cephalotes atratus, Soberania National Park, Panama | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Cephalotes Latreille, 1802[1] |
| Type species | |
| Formica atrata | |
| Diversity | |
| about 130 species | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
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.[2][3]
- ^ Latreille, P.A. (1802). Histoire naturelle, generale et particuliere des crustaces et des insectes (PDF). Vol. 3. Paris: F. Dufart.
- ^ Yanoviak, S. P.; Munk, Y.; Dudley, R. (2011). "Evolution and Ecology of Directed Aerial Descent in Arboreal Ants". Integrative and Comparative Biology. 51 (6): 944–956. doi:10.1093/icb/icr006. PMID 21562023.
- ^ Wild, Alex (11 November 2015). "Ants use their flattened heads as doors to lock down their nests". New Scientist. Retrieved 18 November 2015.