Mastodawn

Education & Knowledge 6h ago

These Ants Protect the Plant That Feeds Them

https://tube.blueben.net/w/htGNBLfv3avSPj37vwMU8z

These Ants Protect the Plant That Feeds Them

PeerTube

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Petra van Cronenburg 8h ago

@alexwild Your photos often let me wish to become an ant for one day. I'm in awe of these different personalities.
This photo is great for the fans of #MagicInTheMundane!

#ant #ants #naturephotography

Alex Wild 8h ago

I do love this subtle photo of a carpenter ant in the wood galleries. Insect photographers for some reasons don't make that many moody silhoutte photos, I should probably do more of these. #Ants #Insects #photography #Camponotus

Stefan F. Wirth 10h ago

The greater #celandine (#Chelidonium #majus) prefers #nitrogenrich #soils and tends to be #thermophilic. In Germany, it grows in #parks and along roadsides. #Seeddispersal occurs via #myrmecochory; #ants are #attracted by means of a #lure (an #elaiosome). In the case of C. majus, this takes the form of a fleshy outgrowth (a #caruncle).
© #StefanFWirth

Important! As a freelancer, I rely on funding—even through small donations—to support my work:
https://ko-fi.com/sfwirth

#Photos
© S.F. Wirth

~meoralis~10h ago

Some gardening drama for #Bienstag. Apologies for the poor quality, but they're really tiny. And fast. 🫣

Last week, I set up a new patch in the garden and replanted my herbs and strawberries from the old plot. But oh, the drama! As I removed the edging stones and plants from the old patch, I uncovered loads of #ants. (Since some of them made their way into the house, I assume the whole garden is one giant ant colony. 😅) Anyway, I accidentally dug up a few #miningBees as well (sorry little ones, feel free to settle in the new plot!), and then I watched a death match between two #bees and an army of ants. The bees tried to flee from the ant territory, but whenever they were bitten by the ants, they twitched and lost their balance. It was really hard to watch nature unfold. Kiddo tried to move the bees to a different spot, but since they were crawling with at least two ants each, I don't know if it worked.

If you look closely, you might spot an #ant on the bee.

I also dug up a toad under the strawberries by accident, but that's for another WildlifeWednesday episode. 🐸

#InsektenSamstag #InsectSaturday #Andrena #Sandbiene #Biene #Bienen #insect #Insekt #insects #Insekten #nature #Natur #pollinators

Alex Wild 11h ago

A bullet ant, Paraponera clavata, carrying a droplet of liquid food in her mandibles. Ecuador. #Ants #Paraponera #Insects

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Guillermo Rivera 16h ago

En otras noticias ligeramente relacionadas, tres cosas:
1. La colonia de hormigas de la que escribí hace casi un mes ya tiene 6 obreras.
2. Las hormigas del género Messor se alimentan principalmente de "pan de hormiga", una amalgama de semillas machacadas y saliva, que, como prácticamente todo en este planeta que toca el aire, debe estar cubierto de levaduras. Por lo tanto, solo les falta un ingrediente para poder hacer pan levado.
3. Distintas especies de hormiga ya conocen la agricultura, ganadería y uso de herramientas (si contamos usar bebes/larvas como pistolas de pegamento como herramientas), así que solo nos faltan hormigas capaces de utilizar fuego para tener el pack neolítico completo.

#Hormigas #Ants