Posted in Ants, Nature, tagged Ants, predation on September 14, 2009| 5 Comments »
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, Science, tagged ant lion, antlion, ecology, myrmeleontidae, neuroptera, Photography, predation, sand on June 23, 2009| 16 Comments »
An ant, climbing from the pit of a predatory ant lion.
The predator, buried in sand at the base of the pit, hurls a volley of debris towards its target.
Posted in Ants, fun, tagged BBC, Dorylus, predation on April 12, 2009| 3 Comments »
From the BBC’s excellent, if overly dramatic, wildlife unit:
Posted in Ants, tagged black widow, ecology, latrodectus, natural history, predation, spiders on January 27, 2009| 5 Comments »
Widow spider and harvester ants. Hallelujah Junction, California
This young black widow (Latrodectus hesperus) set up shop above the nest entrance of a colony of Pogonomyrmex harvester ants. It’s an all-you-can-eat buffet, allowing the spider nearly unlimited pickings as the ants come and go.
The spider’s mottled coloration is typical of young widows; they don’t acquire the striking black and red warning garb until maturity.
photo details: Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens on a Canon EOS D60
ISO 100, 1/200 sec, f/11, MT-24EX twin flash
Posted in fun, tagged arachnids, birds, Nature, Nephila, predation, spiders on October 22, 2008| 5 Comments »
Incidentally, my wife used to have one of these Nephila spiders nesting in the high ceiling of her living room when she was living in Queensland. I guess she used it to dissuade potential suitors, but somehow I made it through.
Posted in Ants, Insect Links, Photography Links, Science, tagged entomology, Leptogenys, Nature, predation on August 28, 2008| 4 Comments »
A perpetually happy Venezuelan Leptogenys
We don’t really know why some species of Leptogenys hunting ants sport a permanent grin. The oddly ecstatic mandible shape might, however, have something to do with handling the broadly curved exoskeleton of their preferred prey: isopods (the sow bugs and pill bugs).
Flickr user “venwu225” recently uploaded a fantastic series of the related species L. falcigera in action. Some of the shots show how the mandibles allow the ant to grip the isopod both above and below its wide skirt of armor. Cool stuff.
photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon 20D
ISO 100, f/13, 1/250 sec, flash diffused through tracing paper
Posted in Insect Links, Photography Links, tagged aphids, death, ecology, entomology, Flies, maggots, Nature, predation on April 14, 2008| 2 Comments »
I can’t imagine a more unpleasant way to go. This poor oleander aphid (Aphis nerii) has its innards sucked out by a hoverfly larva.
photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon 20D
f/13, 1/250 sec, ISO 100
MT-24EX flash diffused through tracing paper
levels adjusted in Photoshop.
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