Acanthomyops
awild | February 15, 2009Lasius (Acanthomyops) arizonicus with mealybug, Huachuca Mountains, Arizona.
Students of the North American myrmecofauna will undoubtedly recognize this ant. Pudgy, pleasingly orange in color, and smelling sweetly of citrus, the Citronella ant is an endearing creature.  This Nearctic endemic is among our most common ants, living in underground empires farming root aphids and mealybugs for sustenance.
Yet few people ever encounter these shy insects. They emerge above ground for only a few hours each year, in late summer to see off the colony's winged reproductives.
The dozen or so…