The ant genus Cataglyphis, also known as desert ants, belongs to the Formicinae subfamily. Its most well-known species is the Sahara Desert ant, Cataglyphis bicolor, which forages on scorching sand in search of insects that have passed out from heat exhaustion.
Description
The species of this genus are morphologically, physiologically, and behaviorally adapted to dry and hot environments.
Distribution
The Sahara Desert, which might be thought of as the genus’s core of distribution, is home to at least five distinct Cataglyphis species. Israel is also home to five species.
Parthenogenesis
Queen ants of the species C. cursor engage in a process known as parthenogenesis to produce female reproductive progeny, such as future queens or gynes. Parthenogenesis in this context refers to the procedure (automictic thelytoky) that results in the formation of a diploid zygote that develops into a gyne from two haploid meiotic products. Queens can also produce female worker ants through sexual reproduction, which entails fertilizing eggs.
Habitat
Because they prefer to live in open settings and have huge workers, they are quite simple to find.
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