Our insect of the week for August 3, 2026 is another ant species, Myrmecina americana. [HYMENOPTERA: Formicidae]. It was described by the Italian entomologist, Carlo Emery in 1895. Colonies of this ant are often found nesting in the soil under logs in forested areas. It has also been recorded nesting under stones. Adults are presumed to be predators, but not a lot is known about their biology. Individuals are more commonly encountered when sifting soil or dead leaf materials or rotting wood. Nests are less frequently located.

This ant has been reported from the following central Illinois counties: Mason, Peoria, Putnam, Tazewell, and Woodford. The specimen shown in these photographs was collected in Peoria County. The images result from stacking a number of individual photographs taken with a Wild M5A microscope and Olympus M5 camera.