Pulling a centipede from its burrow

September 14, 2009 by myrmecos

Photographed this weekend in Dixon Springs, Illinois:

These Aphaenogaster lamellidens foragers have discovered a live centipede and are attempting to pull it from its burrow.

photo details: Canon mp-e 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS 50D
ISO 100, f/11-f/13, 1/250 sec, flash diffused through tracing paper

Posted in Ants, Nature | Tagged Ants, predation | 5 Comments

on September 14, 2009 at 9:47 am Roberto Keller

Fantastic shots!
on September 14, 2009 at 12:50 pm jason

Spectacular! What a great series of shots–and what a great struggle to witness.
on September 14, 2009 at 1:54 pm James C. Trager

I wonder if there was an Amblyopone pallipes pulling at the other end??
- on September 14, 2009 at 2:11 pm Roberto Keller
  
  lol, great thought James.
on September 16, 2009 at 2:15 pm Adrian Thysse

That’s a great sequence. Did the centipede attempt to fight back once it had been pulled out?