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It's a Bug's life


It's a Bug's life
Photo Information
Copyright: Mike Muizebelt (Mousehill) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 122 W: 64 N: 183] (754)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-10-21
Categories: Insects
Camera: Pentax *ist DS, Pentax F 100/2.8 macro
Exposure: f/22, 1/125 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-01-29 19:19
Viewed: 5148
Points: 10
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Weaver Ants
Oecophylla smaragdina

Weaver Ants eat any small creatures that they can find, but they are particularly attracted to nectar. The weaver ants do not have a stinger, but inflict a painful bite which is aggravated by irritating chemicals secreted from their abdomen.

Main features: Large reddish ants with a fierce bite.
Status in Thailand: Common.
World distribution: Tropical Old World from India to Taiwan, across Southeast Asia to Australia.

Nest-building:
Weaver Ants' nests are among the most complex ants' nests. The ants choose living leaves to build nests. These provide well camouflaged protection from predators and the elements. To create their neat nest, chains of worker ants form along the edge and pull the edges together by shortening the chain by one ant at a time. Once the edges are in place, an ant holds one of their larvae in its mandibles and gently squeezes it so the larvae produces silk. The silk is used to glue the leaf edges together. The larvae have special glands to produce lots of strong silk. The adults do not produce silk.

A colony may be dispersed over several nests which may be placed in various locations in a tree, or even span several trees. The queen is located in one nest and her eggs are distributed to the other nests.

The ability of simple-minded ants to co-ordinate on such complex tasks is being studied for applications in robotics. If the ants' behaviour could be better understood, simple cheap robots could be built that could achieve complex tasks.

Exposure: 1/125s
Flash: Ringflash mounted on the lens
Aperture: f22
Iso: 200
Macro: 1:1
petrudamsa, sAner has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Beautiful shot, Mike
Great contrast and composition.
Looks that the red ones are attacking the black ant.

Regards, Petru

  • Great 
  • gelor Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 124 W: 3 N: 12] (523)
  • [2006-01-30 5:44]

Bonjour Mike,
Une belle macro où la netteté est impeccable. Même à f 22 on ne découvre aucun vignettage et bien sûr la profondeur de champ est très intéressante. Beau Travail; Merci pour le partage. Gérard

  • Great 
  • deud Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 438 W: 11 N: 534] (2540)
  • [2006-01-30 7:35]

great composition! it's a good macro. nice details and focus. tfs

Hi Mike. Beautiful captured, nice action scene, good details. Nicely done.

Anders.

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1455 W: 74 N: 1426] (4750)
  • [2006-06-23 12:33]

Hi Mike,

Good macro shot. The details are fine and the black bg is very good and contrasting. Too bad you weren't able to photograph the ants in a slightly more natural environment. Good note! Well done & TFS!

Regards,
Pieter

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