I apply this post for #AmazingNature Thematic Challenge. The weekly theme was: Ants and their anthills.
Ants are definitely an amazing masterpiece created by Mother Nature. Sadly, in the metropolis where I live I cant observe ants in the natural environment. Happily, we dont have ants and redroaches in our house. Yes, when it comes to nature's creatures not everything was created for human's pleasures to benefit our needs. If you didnt ever have ants in your house, believe me: it is no good! I had such a house full of living force in my past. It is no good. You better go to watch the outside!
And, happily, I had such an opportunity this summer. You will be surprised to hear this, but I didnt have any anthills pictures in my pocket. Well, this happens. One cannot embrace everything. But I have a few macro pics to share, one of them is very intresting
Guide 'Insects of USSR. European part. Vol.3' states there should occure 30 species:
Myrmica rubra Myrmica ruginodis Myrmica rugulosa Myrmica lobicornis Leptothorax acervorum Leptothorax muscorum Harpagoxenus sublaevis Formicoxenus nitidulus Camponotus herculeanus Formica pressiladris Formica exsecta Formica suecica Formica forsslundi Formica cinerea Formica picea |
Formica gagatoldes Formica uralensis Formica sanguinea Formica cunicularia Formica rufibardis Formica rufa Formica polyctena Formica truncorum Formica lugubris Formica aquilonia Lasius niger Lasius flavus Lasius umbratus Lasius mixtus Lasius fuliginosus |
With the global warming thing, perhaps the state of things have changed and the figures might changed a bit upwards. The ant I had my pleasurable encounter with, probably was from Formica rufa specie. They are very wide-spread here.
The week challenge has a request 'write what you managed to find out about the construction of ants'. Construction of ants? Hmm, this is a strange request... I guess it does not mean to check my copypaste skills -- they are quite high, let me assure you dear jury! I am trained to find info in internet and I can copypaste it... Probably, this request is intended to check my analytic skills, the skills of observer and thinker?.. Ok, I obey!
Looking at my ant during his travel with his trophey, I managed to find out that:
- the color is dark brown (orange, dirty and dark), head and belly are darker then legs
- it has one head equipped with antennas
- it has no hands
- it has 6 legs
- antennas are as long as its legs
- it may use its mouth (helitzers, actually) to hold its trophey
- it can hold, lift and carry on the weight, not dragging on the ground - a weight that sufficiently exceeds its own. (in this certain case, the ant made its way over rough terrain, and not along the smoothly paved autobahn).
- also I should note the ant was not easy to scare and make it abandon its prey.
the ant can go backwards - like on the photo below.
also he has a glossy belly and all other parts including body and head, are matte. I didnt forget this, the last, but not the least.
- I didnt notice what it was using his antennas for, but I have heard ants need them to find the way home, to check the marks and signs left by other ants, etc. I didnt conduct an experiment to cut off these antennaes just to see, if it will find or loose the way home without antennas.
| location: | St.Petersburg, Russia | July 2020 | natural lighting |
| camera/lens: | Canon 350D | Tamron 60mm |
In this picture you see a bug, swimming in a little artificial pond. What does it doing there, you may ask? Well, thats me to blame for his swimming photosession... I tried to cool him down -- tried this as a solution to decrease its crazy activity, otherwise it was not possible to take any decent pics.
And how do you solve this problem? Shy, smarty, speedy beetles and various critters?
A few pics as a bonus, from the neighbouring folder.
So the ant goes backwards 🤔...how can I be sure that she doesn't walk forward in that picture? ...Lol, just kidding. Nice ant shots!
use logic! or faith in other people, i.e. me. or both :)
I choose the faith on this one ;)
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hello dear friend @qwerrie good afternoon
You have done a great job, very observant. I appreciate that you share what was visualized in this meeting
I take this opportunity to wish you a splendid afternoon
well, it is 11 PM here, afternoon have gone a long time ago its time to wish good dreams! but I appreciate your kind words, thank you, thank you, my friend! I wish the same to you too. glad you enjoyed my pics, those ants indeed are such funny and laboroious critters that you can sit and observe all day long, without feeling bored!
do you plan to show us some ant hills at Argentina?
I had every intention of participating in this mathematical challenge, but of the two places where I can get images, there are none, in my province it is very hot, more than 40 degrees and where my son lives it is very cold, less than 1 degree, in these conditions do not see ants, if you participate in the challenge of adalger I wish you a beautiful night and happy dreams dear friend @qwerrie
Thank you for entering the competition.
You are right that the ants in the house are not pleasant companions: - /
I apologize for the "buildings". They were supposed to be an anthills. Not the body structure of an ant :-)
ah. ah. well. I had suspicions that (Chezh -- EN) translation might go wrong here. the word 'construction' could apply both to ants houses, and to the ants themselve. heh. I will not re-edit my post, what done is done... cheers!
A single wrong word can change the meaning of a sentence. Not to mention that no war broke out because of that :-)
happily note that we are peaceful bloggers here :D
8-D
Lovely photo shoot and detail on the ant life in your region @qwerrie
Sadly I cant tell anything about anthills and take a photo of even one -- they are well hided and sleeping under the snow in the forests! @bucipuci made it super challenging for us :P
May I rely on your vote?
:-)
You didn’t photograph anthills but you captured great closeups of ants.
this summer I definitely will find at least one!
and take dozen pics, to use in possible forthcoming contests
:P
cheers!