Ordinary workers are roughly 5–9 mm; repletes become far larger in volume.
Fine-art photographic collection
Myrmecocystus mexicanus
A honeypot ant whose living storage workers hang from underground ceilings.
About this species
Mexican honeypot ant
Myrmecocystus mexicanusWesmael, 1838
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Myrmecocystus mexicanus is a nocturnal desert ant of south-western North America. Some workers become repletes, storing liquid food in greatly expanded gasters for the colony.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Hymenoptera · Formicidae · Myrmecocystus
Source checked · checked 2026-07-15
South-western North AmericaBroad documented localities — not a complete range map.
South-western United States and northern Mexico.
Desert, semi-desert, sandy flats and open scrub.
Mostly nocturnal or crepuscular to avoid daytime heat.
Nectar and honeydew, with insects and other protein sources for larvae.
Deep soil colonies include ordinary workers and specialised repletes suspended in storage chambers.
What makes this species remarkable?
Repletes swell with liquid food until the abdomen becomes grape-like.
Nestmates obtain stored food by stimulating a replete to regurgitate droplets.
Deep nests buffer temperature and protect the living food stores from desert extremes.
Sources and scientific references
More photographs
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