Bet ya'all were expecting a photo of a bunch of dead ants. Well I am not so sure but this ant is on something that is quite deadly to humans, the small tiny flower of a shrub of which all parts are poisonous, a Strawberry Bush. Used many a year ago by Native Americans for various ailments, the art now lost to todays technology, the shrub can cause cardiac arrest in humans , though many wildlife browse on it.
Ant & Strawberry Bush bloom
Canon EOS 20D w/EF-100mm f/2.8 Canon Macro
430EX ETTL Speedlite, Canon
Ant Poison
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Nice picture Ken - Euonymus sp. - apparently humans have to eat it in quantity for it to be a problem, but it is said to be fatal to cattle (but not deer(?)), who presumably eat rather more than a human would. It is thought to contain toxic glycosides, although I couldn't find any of known identity on a quick Google search
Graham
Though we lean upon the same balustrade, the colours of the mountain are different.
Though we lean upon the same balustrade, the colours of the mountain are different.
Thanks Graham and Aynia. I researched or "Goggled" only the shrub sometime ago and the source only made reference to it being highly toxic to humans but in what quantities it did not mention, however, enough was said to make me approach it with some caution as to handling. The flowers are not much to look at but in the fall the bursting seed pods are quite lovely with their brillant red color.