Iām always happy to see Camponotus castaneus one of the more rare ants in New York City. At first I was disappointed to see two of them fighting each other, but I realized that meant that there must be at least *two* colonies living in close proximity, so when they have their nuptial flight, there is a chance that there will be mated queens! #ants #antsnyc #nycants
(Fighting for now... romeANTs later)
These photos are from one of the best ant watching spots in town. It's a wall along the side of a hilly park where they hardly ever mow the grass and the trees and shrubs are old and gnarled. There are lichen, mosses and at least 11 species of ants who like to come out on to the wall to forage and fight right at your eye level. No need to get a backache!
I gave them some fig. The Lasius neoniger found it first (they are always first, despite Lasius emarginatus being more numerous)
Gasp! You are from the Borg?
You are one of the more rare ants in NYC. See another rare ant just like you!
You HATE her guts! Her queen must be terrible. Why is she on your area of the big warm flat stone with treats on it??
Something must be done.
These ants probably have queens that are sisters if not one is the daughter of the other. Anyway this is probably a family feud.
But it seemed to just be a little squabble about the boundary of their territories.
Oh these mean streets of NYC. So much violence.
You might see them in Chicago. Though they seem to be below to the glacier line in distribution? I wonder what this distribution is about?
I guess these ants hate mountains?
I will admit I don't understand this map. Some of the places in their range have very cold winters.
Yes!
The focus gets a bit wonky on the edges. I like my SLR better with the lawoa macro lens, but it's kind of bulky to carry every day.
(But I may take it to the park tomorrow...)
myrmepropagandist
Eph
Roy -- the dull one
Chris Hayes
Ambulocetus
secretsloth
Sashin