Mastodawn

Spring in #SriLanka brings one of my biggest joys of the island. May I present to you the weaver ants. First, we have a huge queen. Many have green gasters, but this one is solid orange. She has a good start to her brood. These will eventually be her workers that will build her a nest and feed her. You will often find a few founding queens together on one leaf. One of the few species I know of that seem to do better with multiple queens.

#SalticidSunday #Formicidae #Ants #Photography #Nature

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Ben S

Here we see several minors working together to start a new nest for the colony. I don't believe this is a founding colony, but it's possible as no majors were near it. Either way, you can see these ladies stitching the first two leaves of their new nest together using the silk exuded from their larvae. Interestingly, they didn't seem alarmed by my presence or show any of their usual threatening posture. They just stuck to the job at hand.

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Ben S Mar 8

On another founding nest that was finished just a couple days ago, a minor takes a moment for some well earned self care. The initial nest is complete, mealy bugs are close at hand, and there aren't any concerning threats at the moment. They seem to have gotten used to my camera being there all the time. Near by, the jumping spiders that mimic these ants welcome a new nest in their tree. The male spider is supposed to look like one ant carrying another. The female just looks like an ant.