Understanding Turtle Ants

Corrie Moreau is an Assistant Curator of Insects at the Field Museum and part of her research focuses on understanding the life history of turtle ants (Cephalotes varians). This species of ants is remarkable because of their dish-like heads that act as living doorways. In other words, large workers of turtle ants can use their heads to block the entrance of their nests and thus preventing intruders from coming in.