[the following is a repost from Scienceblogs]
With 12,000 described species, ants dominate global terrestrial ecosystems. Here are a few of them.
Name: Nothomyrmecia macrops
Distribution: Australia
Famous for: The story of its rediscovery (As told by Bill Bryson)
Name: Dinoponera australisDistribution: South America
Famous for: being the largest ant in the western hemisphere
Name: Polyergus sp.
Name: Dorylus helvolusDistribution: Africa
Famous for: terrorizing subterranean arthropods, taking of no prisoners
Name: Pogonomyrmex maricopaDistribution: North America
Famous for: the most venemous sting of any North American insect
Name: Thaumatomyrmex atroxDistribution: South America
Famous for: beguiling rarity, and amazing teeth
Name: Pseudomyrmex pallidusDistribution: North & Central America
Famous for: its slender good looks
Name: Cephalotes atratusDistribution: Central & South America
Famous for: gliding
Famous for: gliding
Name: Atta sp.Distribution: North, Central & South America
Famous for: monopolizing nature documentaries
Name: Solenopsis invictaDistribution: North & South America
Famous for: general mayhem and loss of life
Name: Myrmecia piliventrisDistribution: Australia
Famous for: endangering Australians
Name: Odontomachus sp.Distribution: South America
Famous for: general awesomeness involving jaws
Name: Oecophylla longinodaDistribution: Africa
Famous for: exotic textiles, child labor, and organized torture of enemy combatants
Name: Amblyopone oregonensisDistribution: North America
Famous for: drinking their children’s blood
Name: Solenopsis geminataDistribution: worldwide
Famous for: having a big head for a reason
Name: Linepithema oblongumDistribution: South America
Famous for: nothing, yet. But her sister is famous, so just you wait.
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“general awesomeness involving jaws” made me snort coffee out my nose.
Thanks, Alex !! I always love a good picture book with a happy ending and where the prince and princess bugs ride off into the sunset.
Seriously, great job.
Wait, I missed those wiged ants copulating in the sunset!
Alex, surely you must have some backlit, mating ants in flight among your images…
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Cephalotes atratus looks like a spider ant
Ants FTW!
this is great i was on here for a while looking at the ants.
only think I wish you had was better descriptions cus the links though I was excited to click I was disappointed. It did not give me exactly what you said they were famous for so I read a little then bounced back here again.
Like the one about the antz tourtoring other antz I thought only humans ddid that so I clicked but I did not give me the description like…
“they do this to them and that to them and they kill them but they sit there just inflicting pain on them for some reason”
but I did enjoy this page it’s very interesting and I like the photos alot
It is a really wonderfull website about ants.
Beautiful pictures, good informations.
Congratulations !
Well collected samples in a really neat site.
I’m particularly curious about the Dorylus helvolus or army ants in general. I wonder what purpose does that square head serves and what evolutionary track they had to trace to achieve this shape.
Awesome site. I think “general mayhem” is the most accurate decription of S. invicta i’ve ever heard!
Yo this is dope as shit! Ants are the shit and these pictures are awesome. Where did you find all of these species?
Invicta “general mayhem and loss of life.”
Are these as deadly as driver ants?
next time please leave space for names they are known by: ie:, red ant-driver ant, etc.
You’re missing this one!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atta_laevigata
DO NOT WANT D: Why is each and every one of them terrifying
Impresionante trabajo. Felicitaciones! Beautiful!!