And differences in size are also the norm. Not only among ant castes of the same species, but particularly among different species! Here we see a desert ant (a relatively large ant for Europe) carrying a tiny dead one still clasping its mandibles on its antenna, marching on unfazed at full speed among the pebbles of a Croatian beach.
Cataglyphis nodus (large ant) and an unidentified tiny dead ant attached to its right antenna. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/92084232
On dead ants ... their mandibles and bodies can endure a lot. Here is another unidentified dead ant, mandibles clasping onto the leg of a masked bee (who knew ants and bees battle?). The dead ant served as a natural marker for this one particular bee, which I was able to recognize over the course of multiple days on the same mint flowers.
Hylaeus modestus (a masked bee) plus unknown ant, on mint flowers https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/30098847
