Check out this mound the ants had constructed.

Most of the workers I saw were carrying clumps of dirt/pebbles.

The worker dumped her load and then went back for more.

The surface of the mound looks like a boulder field from the perspective of the ant.

Harvester ants and [...]]]> The leafcutter ants were busy in Tucson a few weeks ago.

Check out this mound the ants had constructed.

Most of the workers I saw were carrying clumps of dirt/pebbles.

The worker dumped her load and then went back for more.

The surface of the mound looks like a boulder field from the perspective of the ant.

Harvester ants and other types ants also have pebbles on the surface of their mounds. (Harvester ants decorate their mounds with other things as well.)

A curious docent wondered why I was taking photographs of the ants. After wishing the mound was in the sun, she volunteered to show me another mound she knew of that she thought might be in the sunlight.

Turns out it wasn’t in the sun, but there was something else there.

You see those cords? A crew that was stringing Christmas lights had trampled the leafcutters’ mound. I’m not sure whether the ants simply reverted to another entrance or whether they abandoned the nest.

I was intrigued to see those circles though. Do you know what they are?

Those are pits made by larval antlions (See previous post about antlions.)

Antlions seem to prefer fine, powdery soil (The Antlion Pit).

So, do you think perhaps ants may decorate their mounds with pebbles in an effort to keep down antlions, as well as other species of ants as has been suggested? Do you know of anyone who has studied this possibility?

(Photo retrieved from Wikimedia)

Armadillos are distant relatives of anteaters, which might explain why some species also love to eat ants.

All 21 species of armadillos are covered with the jointed armor that gives them their common name, a Spanish word for “little armored [...]]]> What is an armadillo doing in a blog about ants?

(Photo retrieved from Wikimedia)

Armadillos are distant relatives of anteaters, which might explain why some species also love to eat ants.

All 21 species of armadillos are covered with the jointed armor that gives them their common name, a Spanish word for “little armored one.” Armadillos are found throughout South, Central and parts of North America.

Bet you didn’t know the biggest, called the giant armadillo, weighs 121 pounds (55kg) and can grow to 4.9 feet (1.5 meters) long. That’s a big armadillo!

The armadillos found in Texas and the Southern United States are called the nine-banded armadillos. They are not originally from North America, but have spread to the United States in the last few centuries. Nine-banded armadillos feed on not just regular ants, but the imported fire ants, making them brave and useful creatures indeed.

In one scene a rufous woodpecker from India is shown breaking open an ant nest and then busily eating ants. It piqued [...]]]> This week we’ve been watching The Life of Birds DVD set narrated by Sir David Attenborough.  Have you ever seen the series? If you love nature you should, because it is so well done.

In one scene a rufous woodpecker from India is shown breaking open an ant nest and then busily eating ants. It piqued my curiosity, so I decided to see what else I could find out. Although I didn’t find the exact scene online to show you, I did find videos of rufous woodpeckers eating ants.

This first video is rather dark, but shows two young birds feeding on ants.

It appears that these woodpeckers from the Kerala region of India specialize on ants. Vishnudas (2008) cites an earlier worker from 1912 who found 2,600 ants in the stomach of a rufous woodpecker.

Although this video is shaky, it shows another woodpecker going after ants. (Makes you appreciate the quality of the footage from the Attenborough DVD.) It cuts away as the ants come rushing out of their nest.

It turns out that Rufous Woodpeckers, Micropternus brachyurus, not only use ants as their main food source, but also depend on Crematogaster ants for nesting sites. The birds work together to open up the carton nests of Crematogaster ants, and then build their own nests inside.

In his paper, Vishnudas also reports that several other species of birds follow the rufous woodpeckers and feed on the escaping ants when the rufous woodpeckers tear ant nests open.

In North America, there are woodpeckers specialize on ants, as well.

Northern flickers probably eat the most ants. They spend much of their time feeding on the ground around anthills. One flicker was found to have 5,000 ants in its stomach.

Doesn’t it look like the flicker is trying to dig out larvae and pupae rather than workers?

Pileated woodpeckers often cut slots into tree trunks or logs to get at carpenter ant nests inside. The woodpeckers will continue to return to the same opening over time, picking off ants that peer through the opening or that rush out to protect the nest.

It is fascinating to find out about these birds that are so dependent on ants for survival.

Have you seen any of the Attenborough series?

Reference:
Vishnudas, C. K. 2008. Crematogaster ants in shaded coffee plantations: a critical food source for Rufous Woodpecker Micropternus brachyurus and other forest birds. Indian Birds. 4:9-11. (Available from Google Docs as a free .pdf)

The DVD set:

The Life of Birds book by David Attenborough

At eight in the morning, the new queens are climbing up grass stalks and leaves.

Any idea why the worker ants are standing on and huddled around the queens?

I’ll give you a hint.

You might be able to spot two of the reasons near the center line [...]]]> Right on cue the Solenopsis xyloni have been swarming in Phoenix.

At eight in the morning, the new queens are climbing up grass stalks and leaves.

Any idea why the worker ants are standing on and huddled around the queens?

I’ll give you a hint.

You might be able to spot two of the reasons near the center line in this blurry photograph.

I’m afraid this is the best shot I got of the aerial assault by phorid flies.

Phorid flies of the genus Pseudacteon are known to attack fire ants. They are commonly called ant-decapitating flies for the fact that the infested ant’s head falls off during the final stages of the fly’s development. Each fly lays her eggs into the adult ants. The fly larva hatches from the egg, and feeds within the ant’s alitrunk. Once the larva is ready to pupate, the ant dies and literally loses its head. The larva pupates in the cozy head, and eventually emerges as an adult fly to attack more fire ants.

Photograph from Wikimedia

There was a small cloud of the flies attracted to the activity of the ants. These phorids seemed to particularly target the reproductives, although other phorids I have read about target workers.

To give you an idea how small and fast these flies are, check the area around the beige leaf in the lower right corner of the second part of this video.

Have you ever seen phorid flies around swarming ants? If so, what species of ants?

It is a blind or thread snake, genus Leptotyphlops. I didn’t take many photographs, because I know blind snakes are fragile.

These snakes are sometimes called “worm snakes” as they are pink or brown, thin and look like earthworms. This one was dark enough to be mistaken for [...]]]> The mystery creature didn’t stump anyone in this crowd.

It is a blind or thread snake, genus Leptotyphlops. I didn’t take many photographs, because I know blind snakes are fragile.

These snakes are sometimes called “worm snakes” as they are pink or brown, thin and look like earthworms. This one was dark enough to be mistaken for an elongate millipede. The behavior was totally inappropriate for a millipede though, so I popped it under the microscope. Yes indeed, there were tiny scales.

Members of this group are called blind snakes because they lack eyes, although they have a dark spot where the eye would be on the head.

Why did I put this cool snake up on this ant blog?

About 100 species of Leptotyphlops are found worldwide, and they pretty much all specialize in eating ants and/or termites.

Blind snakes eat ant larvae and pupae by actually slithering down into the ant nests. As you might expect, the ants will attack intruders if they are discovered. Some species of blind snakes escape detection by slithering into the nest, eating extremely rapidly (they wolf down the ant larvae and pupae by taking three or four bites a second), and then shooting back out of the nest.

Other blind snakes can defend themselves by squirting out a mixture of excrement and a clear liquid that contains a defensive substance unpleasant to ants. The snakes quickly roll and wriggle through the sticky fluid until they are covered. The ants back away from protected blind snakes, allowing the snakes to eat in peace.

Because they are so secretive, I did not ever think I would get to see one. It was an incredible opportunity to experience something I had only read about.

For more information, see ant predation by blind snakes

The cone-shaped holes are fascinating. Kids big and small like to put objects into the pit to elicit a response from the larva buried at the bottom. You have to wonder how the larvae flip the soil with such accuracy when they are buried [...]]]> People usually notice antlions when they see their pits in the soil.

The cone-shaped holes are fascinating. Kids big and small like to put objects into the pit to elicit a response from the larva buried at the bottom. You have to wonder how the larvae flip the soil with such accuracy when they are buried beneath it.

You don’t see the adults as often.

The adult antlion somewhat resembles a damselfly, but they are actually more closely related to lacewings (Order Neuroptera).

These were hanging around the buildings at a highway rest stop. Presumably they had been attracted to the lights at night.

Hard to imagine this delicate beauty comes from the larva you see in this video. Note: the video contains scenes of violence to ants.

For more information, see this previous post about antlions.

Poll question:  Do you think the common name should be ant lion (2 words) or antlion?

This year we have at least five praying mantids in our yard that I see regularly. Most are green forms. I believe they are Iris oratoria, the introduced Mediterranean mantids, but please correct me if I’m wrong. The adult [...]]]> At high tide fish eat ants; at low tide ants eat fish. – Thai proverb

This year we have at least five praying mantids in our yard that I see regularly. Most are green forms. I believe they are Iris oratoria, the introduced Mediterranean mantids, but please correct me if I’m wrong. The adult has a black eye spot on its hind wing.

There is one brown form. The first time I saw it, it was on a matching brown stem. Talk about cryptic coloration.

The next day it was on a green stem. Not so cryptic any more.

Are you wondering why I’m doing a photo essay about praying mantids on an ant blog?

The hollyhock stem the brown mantid had chosen was an active rover ant (Brachymyrmex patagonicus) trail. At first I wondered if the rover ants would attack the mantid.

After all, the rover ants seemed pretty small to be worthwhile prey for a big mantis. Handling time, and all that.

Think again. In the short time I was watching and taking photos, this praying mantis caught and ate four rover ants. This is the best shot I got.

So, I guess at least one predator thinks rover ants are a worthwhile meal.

Do you have rover ants in your area? Have you ever seem a predator feed on rover ants?

Love the name!

The insect at the bottom of those funnel-shaped pits is the larval stage of the ant lion, also called a doodlebug. Ant lions are found in warm areas throughout the world, including Florida and the southwestern United States.

The ant lion larva looks a bit like a [...]]]> We’ve been seeing a lot of ant lion pits lately.

The insect at the bottom of those funnel-shaped pits is the larval stage of the ant lion, also called a doodlebug. Ant lions are found in warm areas throughout the world, including Florida and the southwestern United States.

The ant lion larva looks a bit like a lacewing larva, and the two are related. Here’s a photo of an ant lion larva from Iowa State University. Some species have even longer jaws.

The ant lion larva digs a pit in loose dirt or sand near ant colonies. We’ve had a particularly dry year and there is a lot of powdery dry soil, which the ant lions seem to prefer for constructing their pits.

When an ant or other small insect falls into the pit, the larva flicks sand or soil at it to knock it towards the bottom. Once the ant is within reach, the larva grabs it and drags it under the sand to eat it.

When the larva attains its full size, it pupates. The pupa is round and covered with a layer of silk. The adult ant lion emerges from the soil. It is slender with wings with many veins that fold back over its body when it is at rest. The adult might be mistaken for a damselfly or dragonfly. Firefly Forest has a fantastic photograph of an adult ant lion.

Edit: and now I have my own photographs of adults.

A few days ago I stumbled onto this scene. A tiny spider was running rapid circles around this carpenter ant worker. The ant was struggling. (This would have been better as a video, but I had to make do.) The spider was spinning around with its abdomen towards the ant.

Another bigger ant stopped by to [...]]]>

A few days ago I stumbled onto this scene. A tiny spider was running rapid circles around this carpenter ant worker. The ant was struggling. (This would have been better as a video, but I had to make do.) The spider was spinning around with its abdomen towards the ant.

Another bigger ant stopped by to rescue the minor ant, but the spider ran and hid a few inches away and the bigger ant eventually wandered away.

As soon as the other ant was gone, the spider came back to claim its prize.

It’s a dangerous world out there for ants.

Have you ever seen a spider catch an ant?