This photo of a False Honey ant is unremarkable in that it is not too sharp and could be better lit. One thing I do like about it though is that it shows the ant's glossa (tongue) very clearly. I only recently learned what they were called. I believe they function to help ants drink up liquids. False Honey ants seem to be big fans of nectar from flowers and from aphids, so it makes sense that they would have proportionally large glossa. I believe they have two shorter and two longer strands to their glossa.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Carpenter ant - Camponotus sp.
This season I've been particularly engrossed by ants. Mostly I've taken photos of the False Honey ant (in spring and fall when they are active), and the Acrobat ant (very interesting behaviours and body morphology). I haven't gotten any shots of Carpenter ants, that is, until yesterday when I found one grooming aphids and feeding on their nectar.
This ant and the aphids were on the underside of a leaf (basswod I think, a tree noted for its attractiveness to sap-feeding insects). I turned it over and took lots of photos. Gravity means nothing to these creatures. Since I could move and hold the leaf as I pleased I was able to get some shots at face level that are otherwise difficult to get, including this good profile shot.
I bumped up the temperature a bit, as the late afternoon time of the shot desaturated things. You can see its glossa (tongue parts) at the base of its head. I love the way its left rear leg stretches out.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Obscure Sap beetle - Conotelus obscurus
Finally got another shot of the Obscure Sap beetle, again in my neighbour's front yard. It's a teeny beetle. The images I've taken and posted on Flickr and buiggide.net seem to be some of the only ones on the 'net, certainly the clearest.
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