Underground Army Ant vs Sand Treader Camel Cricket

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Underground Army Ant Sand Treader Camel Cricket
Scientific Name Labidus coecus Macrobaenetes valgum
Order Hymenoptera Orthoptera
Family Formicidae Rhaphidophoridae
Size 2-7 mm 15-25 mm
Habitat Caves Deserts & Drylands
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Southern United States, Central America, South America Southwestern United States
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Underground Army Ant

A mostly subterranean army ant that occasionally surfaces in massive raiding columns across the Americas. Workers are pale yellow, reflecting their underground lifestyle.

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Did You Know?

They are the most frequently encountered army ants in the Americas but are rarely seen because of their subterranean habits.

Sand Treader Camel Cricket

A pale, wingless cricket adapted to life on desert sand dunes in the American Southwest. It has broadened feet for walking on loose sand.

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Did You Know?

It burrows into the sand at dawn and emerges only at night, spending its life on dunes with surface temperatures that can exceed 70 degrees Celsius by day.