Inspired by others...

Earlier images, not yet re-categorized. All subject types. Not for new images.

Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau

Ken Ramos
Posts: 7208
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:12 pm
Location: lat=35.4005&lon=-81.9841

Inspired by others...

Post by Ken Ramos »

I decided to do a few ant images of my own. Seems they were moving quite a few casualties about. :-k

Image

Image

Image
EOS 20D
Manual mode, hand held
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Canon 220EX ETTL Speedlite, diffused
PP: Photo Imapct 6 :D

Looked aroud to see where the dead ones were being taken from and to where but among the leaf litter and other debries I could not decern the origin or final destination. From what I gather, ants will move the sick and diseased away from the colony to keep a healthy environment. Makes me wonder about what was seen in the Cordyceps video on "You Tube" :-k

acerola
Posts: 251
Joined: Wed Dec 13, 2006 2:28 pm
Location: Hungary
Contact:

Post by acerola »

Interesting shots, Ken. They are not the dead ants. The ants moving their sister this way, when they leave one place and go to the other. I take similar pictures last spring from red wood ants. They have a winter nest, and they go back to their summer place in the spring.
I also watched them at home. I have a little ant colony. They live in test tubes. I have to add new tubes with water in it, when the old ones go dry. When I add the new tubes sometimes they move on to it right away. I saw how it happen. Ants from the new place go to the old place, grab one ant by its jaw and shake it to fore and back. the grabbed ant go to this hunched position and the other carry it to the new place. When they arrive it simply put the companion down and go back to the old place for another ant. I did not see how the queen was moved, but maybe she was just dragged to the new place.
Péter

MacroLuv
Posts: 1964
Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 2:36 pm
Location: Croatia

Post by MacroLuv »

Interesting behavior. But why do they carry each other? To halve the traffic? :-k
The meaning of beauty is in sharing with others.

P.S.
Noticing of my "a" and "the" and other grammar
errors are welcome. :D

acerola
Posts: 251
Joined: Wed Dec 13, 2006 2:28 pm
Location: Hungary
Contact:

Post by acerola »

I don't know exactly. It must part of their common ant logic. The moving was performed only by one or two ants at home, but the distance of the tubes was just 10 cm apart.
They just have tot tell each other that "we are moving to a new place". I think this is the way. Other ants might do it other way. I speak about Formica species. Formica rufa and Formica rufibarbis.
I don't know the American species, but I think the ants are also Formicas on Ken's pictures.
Péter

Ken Ramos
Posts: 7208
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:12 pm
Location: lat=35.4005&lon=-81.9841

Post by Ken Ramos »

That is so cool 8) I thought they were moving dead ants. I did notice two separate areas which had mounds. Several mounds were up hill from where I took these photos and the ants were coming down from there. So I will assume that the lower area, where I shot these, was to be the "summer condo." Fascinating! :D

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic