I wonder what's up with these little ant asterixes (antsterixes?) they're forming along their path

is this the fabled communication by scent?

#ants #antstodon

Anyway,

> We show that the two wingless morphs occurring during the root-dwelling phase of the life cycle of the aphid _Paracletus cimiciformis_ follow distinct strategies that entail disparate relationships with ants. On the one hand, the round morph exhibits the plant sap-sucking feeding behavior characteristic of aphids and establishes a typical mutualistic trophobiotic relationship with ants. On the other hand, aphids of the flat morph, although able to feed on plants, are brought inside the ant brood chamber where they are cared for by the ants. Our results show that the latter strategy is accomplished by flat morph aphids by mimicking ant larvae chemical signals and that, besides obtaining ant care, aphids in the brood chamber actively suck hemolymph from ant larvae.
>
> […] By being transported by the ants deep into their brood chambers, aphids of the flat morph would be safe from temperature extremes experienced by other root-dwelling aphids that stay closer to the roots to feed. We suggest that lack of access to plants in the brood chamber may have driven the evolution of the ability to use a different food resource (i.e., hemolymph of ant larvae), at least temporarily. The fact that flat morph aphids inside ant nests give rise, when harsh conditions are over, to four morphs representing life history strategies adapted to different temporal and spatial uncertainties…suggests that the flat morph is at the center of a diversified strategy for survival and recolonization of the aphid host plants.

A. Salazar, B. Fürstenau, C. Quero, N. Pérez-Hidalgo, P. Carazo, E. Font, & D. Martínez-Torres, Aggressive mimicry coexists with mutualism in an aphid, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 112 (4) 1101-1106, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1414061112 (2015).  

#entomology #insects #ants #aphids #antstodon #bugstodon #Hymenoptera #Formicidae #Hemiptera #Aphididae

I believe this is, according to Australia standards for weights and measures, a metric shit tonne of ants.

Maybe two shit tonnes.

#Ants #Antstodon

Oh no, they're back! Or, more likely, never really left. The brood is now one shelf further up the linen press.

Clearly more drastic action is needed in order to make this cupboard unappealing to them. At a minimum I'm going to have to take out all the towels and linen for a while. Bare shelves in an open cupboard will, hopefully, be too exposed to be considered a suitable nesting site.

Urban legend has it that wiping surfaces with a little diluted vinegar acts as at least a temporary house ant repellent, I may give that a go too.

#Ants #Antstodon

The laundry ant colony has at least given me something interesting to point my cheapo USB microscope at.

Lots of workers looking after the larvae, some callows, and a few alates.

The bright light from the USB microscope clearly agitated them, which suggests to me I might be able to persuade them to move the brood out of the linen press by opening the doors, taking out the linen, and thereby denying them the darkness that they need to feel that the brood is safe. I'm sure they'd only move as far as the nearest dark nook or cranny, but that would still be a move in the right direction.

#Ants #Antstodon