Cork Head Ant

Images of undisturbed subjects in their natural environment. All subject types.

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acerola
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Cork Head Ant

Post by acerola »

I found a special ant today. It is Camponotus truncatus. It nests wood in small colonies. The queen and the mayors has a special head. They can block the small entrance with their head. When an ant from the colony arrives the mayor go back and let it enter. The enemies has a hard time to go in the colony. Unfortunately I did not find the nest entrance. It would be a hard job to make a picture from the entrance, but it could be a very unique picture.

This is the first time I found this ant. I collected a specimen to stack it later. :twisted:

Image

[Edited] One more picture added.
Image
Last edited by acerola on Mon Apr 21, 2008 1:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Péter

Michigan Michael
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Post by Michigan Michael »

How interesting!

Erland R.N.
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Post by Erland R.N. »

Very good pictures, like the first one most. An interesting adaption to that ants face. Never seen anything like this.

Erland

Ken Ramos
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Post by Ken Ramos »

Beats me too! :shock: That is unusual! :shock: Great images by the way. :smt023 I have never heard of nor seen such an ant. :D

Planapo
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Post by Planapo »

Very nice find and great pictures, better than those in Seifert´s book!

You know Péter, I was kinda waiting for you to post a picture of this famous species with the chances of encoutering it being much higher down in the South at your place.
I encountered C. truncatus the first time several years ago in a warm wine-growing area of Germany. A specimen of the major morph is in my collection and, of course, on the "to-be-stacked list" 8) :wink: .

--Betty :D

lauriek
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Post by lauriek »

Very interesting stuff, look forward to your stack!

Never heard of these before, I guess we don't get them in the UK?

First picture is really nice for an ant in the wild, I know how tricky they are! I'm assuming they are not HUGE ants?! ;)

beetleman
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Post by beetleman »

An excellent find and beautiful pictures. I have seen these on a show I saw on the animal or Discover Channel TV. I found (not personally, in my book "Ants of North America") a species in the USA Camponotus (Colobopsis) obliquus a small species that forms small ardoreal colonies. Most common in the southeastern USA, it has the same plug shaped head...start looking Ken :wink:
Take Nothing but Pictures--Leave Nothing but Footprints.
Doug Breda

acerola
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Post by acerola »

Betty: My old dream was just to make a picture from them. It is really surprised me that I find it, and what surprises me more that I find it on the place I visit 5-6 times in a year for a while (my main photo site).

lauriek: They are 4-5 mm long.

beetleman: I checked it in antweb. The USA species are quite the same at the first glance. It can be found in Florida for example.
Péter

acerola
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Post by acerola »

I just checked antweb and there are at least 10 cork head species under Camponotus. More of them from the USA, so you can keep your eyes open. :)
Péter

beetleman
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Post by beetleman »

:smt119 Nest in dead limb 60' up in pond pine :smt103
Take Nothing but Pictures--Leave Nothing but Footprints.
Doug Breda

Gordon C. Snelling
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Post by Gordon C. Snelling »

Beautiful, I love those ants. They have long been considered a separate genus Colobopsis, but are now considered to belong in Camponotus.

Danny
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Post by Danny »

Never seen anything like it !!. This would be one of the most interesting ant shots out. I'm amazed :shock:

All the best and fantastic detail BTW. Great work and shots.

Danny.
Worry about the image that comes out of the box, rather than the box itself.

jmlphoto
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Post by jmlphoto »

haha that first one is real funny, great shots of an unusual insect.
Jordan L. photo southern california.

acerola
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Post by acerola »

Gordon: Interesting that it became Camponotus, it is more similar to Dolichoderus by the look of them.

Thanks for all
Péter

Gordon C. Snelling
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Post by Gordon C. Snelling »

There is still some debate as to whether the correct placement is Campontus or not. They are unquestionably a Formicine though and not a Dolichoderine. However about the only feature in which they differ is the head shape which is not considered by most the be significant enough to warrant their own genus

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