Ant Nest Beetles Amboro National Park Bolivia Oct 2024

[davholla]

Until I put this on inaturalist I hadn't heard of this group from wikipedia

Ant nest beetle - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Ant nest beetles (subfamily Paussinae) or paussines, some members of which are known also as flanged bombardier beetles, are a large subfamily within the ground beetles (Carabidae).The tribes Metriini, Ozaenini, Paussini and Protopaussini are included in the subfamily.

Rarely seen in the open, except at lights, most Paussinae are obligate or facultative myrmecophiles, living within the nests of ants, predatory on ant larvae and workers. Many have elaborate antennal structures and body parts flattened. Paussines are moderate sized (6–20 mm), characterised by glandular hairs that produce secretions attractive to ants and by the odd antennal structures of many species. Their pygidial glands can produce explosive secretions, with a spray of quinones that are directed forward by flanges at the posterior end of the elytra, giving them the other name of flanged bombardier beetles although they are not particularly close relatives of the typical bombardier beetles

Genus Homopterus a member of Ant Nest Beetles Subfamily Paussinae, Refugio de Volcanes, Amboro National Park, Bolivia.
Approx size is 6.69 mm, magnification is 1.4
IMG_0876_Beetle-1 by davholla2002, on Flickr

Paratised hopper stuck on a wall. Refugio de Volcanes, Amboro National Park, Bolivia.
approximate size is 3.58 mm, magnification is 2.1
Sadly I couldn't photograph the coccoon - it was too tricky an angle

IMG_0885_Leaf_Hopper by davholla2002, on Flickr

Springtails in hotter climates are quite hard to see - I would guess they suffer from dehydration
Springtail, Refugio de Volcanes, Amboro National Park, Bolivia.
The approx size is 2.64 mm, magnification is 3.08. Entomobryomorpha
Elongate Springtails
Order Entomobryomorpha

IMG_0880_Springtail-1 by davholla2002, on Flickr


Sweat bee nest entrance. Narrow stingless bee Tetragonisca angustula.Refugio de Volcanes, Amboro National Park, Bolivia
Approx diameter of the entrance, size is 6.53 mm, magnification is 1.68

IMG_0905_Sweat_Bee-1 by davholla2002, on Flickr