Image of Myrmecophilus (Myrmecophilus) oregonensis Bruner & L. 1884

Description:

These tiny crickets live inside ant colonies, feeding on… ant excrement. Well, not poop, I don't think, but some other form ant secretion. Gross AND awesome. And small, about 5 mm long. I'm basing this ID on the range descriptions in this paper (entnemdept.ufl.edu/walker/buzz/s391lh20.pdf), which describes M. manni as not occurring west of the Cascades / Sierras / Tehachapis, except at San Diego. Not sure if they should be considered current or not.