Lower Attine Ant vs Humpbacked Mite-hunter
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Lower Attine Ant | Humpbacked Mite-hunter |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cyphomyrmex rimosus | Scydmaenus hellwigii |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Formicidae | Staphylinidae |
| Size | 2-3 mm | 1-1.5 mm |
| Habitat | Gardens | Forests |
| Diet | Detritivores | Detritivores |
| Regions | Southern United States, Central and South America | Europe, Western Asia |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Lower Attine Ant
A tiny, cryptic fungus-growing ant with a rugose and heavily sculptured dark brown body. Workers cultivate yeast rather than the mycelial fungus of more derived attines. They collect insect frass and dead plant material for their yeast gardens.
Did You Know?
Unlike their famous leafcutter relatives, they grow a yeast-like fungus rather than the mushroom-like fungi cultivated by Atta and Acromyrmex.
Humpbacked Mite-hunter
A diminutive scydmaenine rove beetle with a distinctly humped profile and long, clubbed antennae. It specializes in hunting oribatid mites in the micro-habitats of forest floor detritus.
Did You Know?
To overcome the mite's armor, this beetle first gnaws a small hole in the mite's exoskeleton, then inserts its mandibles to extract the soft tissues inside.