Climbing to the light!
A worker cocktail ant (possibly Crematogaster cornigera) having a little explore. They're called 'cocktail ants' because when they're alarmed they'll raise their gaster (last segment of their body) in a defensive pose.
#WildOz #OzInverts #MacroPhotography #Meanjin #Brisbane #Australia #Nature #Arthropod #Insect #CocktailAnt #Crematogaster #Ant
If you were feeling perky and wanted to learn a second genus, the obvious choice is Crematogaster, the acrobat ants. They're also found worldwide and are instantly identifiable for their unique, heart-shaped butts.
https://www.alexanderwild.com/Ants/Taxonomic-List-of-Ant-Genera/Crematogaster
Here is another ant. I still haven't gotten clarification on how the common names are applied to this group. I learned them as valentine ants, but it seems like most call them acrobat ants and yet others call them cocktail ants. If you know something about how or when to apply these common names, please let me know.
#Formicidae #Crematogaster #Ants #Insects #Nature #Photography #Oklahoma
And now for some more ants! I spent years and years of my life studying wasps but I can't ever find them when I'm holding my camera. But hey, ants are still awesome. The one on the right must have found something delicious as she is sharing it through trophallaxis (aka the kiss of life? do ant experts really use this?) with her sister. I presume these are shiny acrobat ants but would love a correction.
#Insects #Nature #Photography #Ant #Oklahoma #Crematogaster #laeviuscula #InsectInteraction
Gathering together some of my ant digital drawings and thinking about doing more this winter.
I start missing ants a lot during winter. My colonies are asleep and there are no ants outside.
#art #drawing #AntArt #ants #camponotus #crematogaster #insects
Crematogaster crinosa acrobat ants visiting a Heliconia flower. Minca, Colombia.
Acrobat ants (Crematogaster crinosa) gather nectar from a Heliconia flower. Minca, Colombia.
Here's an ant I don't see very often: Crematogaster rifelna, a small acrobat ant known only from south Texas and northeastern Mexico. Here, two nestmates are engaged in trophallaxis.
Did someone say #Ants ? These are Cocktail ants (Orthocrema sp.) eating some sort of hemipteran.
Wait, I feel a poll coming on...
Is it Valentine, Cocktail, or Acrobat? This really does need resolution in my scattered brain...
Natasha Taylor
Alex Wild
Ben S
myrmepropagandist