Ants: sticking the kids in the nursery

Images of undisturbed subjects in their natural environment. All subject types.

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Beatsy
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Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2013 3:10 am
Location: Malvern, UK

Ants: sticking the kids in the nursery

Post by Beatsy »

I caught this group of ants in the compost bin, busily "velcro-ing" young-uns to the back of a rhubarb leaf. I never realised the pupae were so hairy until I saw this.
Sony A7riv + 90/2.8G macro + Canon MT24-EX twin flash. ISO 100, 1/125th, f/8. Heavy crop with 100% cropped inset (pixel for pixel)
Sony A7riv + 90/2.8G macro + Canon MT24-EX twin flash. ISO 100, 1/125th, f/8. Heavy crop with 100% cropped inset (pixel for pixel)
Last edited by Beatsy on Fri May 07, 2021 12:29 am, edited 1 time in total.

rjlittlefield
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Re: Ants: sticking the kids in the nursery

Post by rjlittlefield »

Nice shot & montage!

These look like nearly mature larvae, not pupae. Except for the few that spin cocoons, ant pupae look more like adult ants except they're cream-colored and have all their limbs tucked in.

The adults may have figured it was easier to bring larvae to the food, than food to the larvae.

--Rik

Beatsy
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Location: Malvern, UK

Re: Ants: sticking the kids in the nursery

Post by Beatsy »

Oops. Simple mis-spooking on my part - mixed the two up. Thanks Rik.

Adalbert
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Re: Ants: sticking the kids in the nursery

Post by Adalbert »

very nice :smt041

MarkSturtevant
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Re: Ants: sticking the kids in the nursery

Post by MarkSturtevant »

Very interesting find! There are ants that will nest in hollowed twigs or rolled leaves. This seems similar.
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters

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