Bug FAQNorthern Caribbean Turtle Ant
Cephalotes varians · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Formicidae
The Northern Caribbean Turtle Ant lives in trees and is known as a turtle ant. It has a specially shaped head that blocks nest entrances and can steer its fall to glide through the air. It has been reported as an introduced ant in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
They have a uniquely shaped head that they use to block nest entrances.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They live in the canopy of trees as arboreal ants.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What is special about the head of a turtle ant?
Its head is oddly shaped so it can block the entrance to its nest.
Source: Wikipedia
Can turtle ants glide?
Yes, they can steer their fall and glide if they drop from a tree.
Source: Wikipedia
Where has this ant been found outside its original range?
It has been recorded as an introduced species in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Formicidae)
Eastern Black Carpenter AntCamponotus pennsylvanicusCan bite
Red Imported Fire AntSolenopsis invictaCan sting
American Winter AntPrenolepis imparis
Argentine AntLinepithema humileNuisance, not dangerous
Immigrant Pavement AntTetramorium immigransCan sting
Odorous House AntTapinoma sessileCan damage your homeSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalotes_varians
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.