Amazon Pics Part 46

[Moebius]

I know I posted this earlier today, but it is gone. Hope this is not a double post then...

In the spirit of Valentine's day, here is an ant that has a head shape reminiscent of the holiday.



Another Ant



I've shown this guy before, but dang if they don't make nice pics



Ken Nelson
Canon 30D
Sigma 150mm

[Bruce Williams]

That is one strange looking ant (pic1)! It's difficult to make out where the thorax ends and where the abdomen begins. You have to wonder what sort of environmental niche or evolutionary forces produced a creature that looks like this? Ant number 2 looks a formidable character too.

More great pics from the Nelson stable!

Bruce

[Gordon C. Snelling]

Beautiful shots. The black ant belongs to the genus Cephalotus, possibly C. atratus they typically live in wood and the flattened head is used to block the entrances to the colony. The reddish ant I am going blank on at the moment but wil do some checking.

[crotermund]

Ken - Did you ever get a good look at the ants that crawled up your pants leg and started biting you or should I avoid that topic?

[Gordon C. Snelling]

Ahh got it, it belongs to the genus Daceton, most likely D. armigerum.

[Moebius]

Craig,

Ah, no, didn't get a good look at them. A lesson I learned down there was to not to stand on an ant hill while taking pictures. For some reason they don't like that and like to crawl up pant legs and bite.

Ken

[beetleman]

Wonderful pics Ken..I would not want one of the orange ants up my pants. Another beautiful treehopper in the third picture. Thanks Gordon for the IDs on the ants....some very interesting reading when I looked them up.

[Moebius]

I appreciate the id's Gordon. What is your primary source of reference for your id's....Online or books?

Ken

[salden]

That is one strange looking ant in the first image, but he sure is pretty. Nice capture. Hope the bites are not as bad as those of the fire ants.