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Crematogaster castanea & Camponotus troglodytes
Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

photograph © Alex Wild 2008

Model and mimic. The Crematogaster ant in the foreground is a dominant, aggressive arboreal species.  The Camponotus at rear is similar in size, movement, and coloration to the dominant Crematogaster, but it occurs in much lower densities along the same tree branches.  What the Camponotus gains from this mimicry has yet to be studied.
  

Republic of South Africa: 
Kwazulu-Natal, St. Lucia
5.vii.2008 28º23.2'S 32º24.3'E, 10m
Coastal  forest edge, ants on tree trrunk
voucher specimen deposited at ALWC

This image is copyrighted by the photographer and cannot be used without permission. To obtain permission to use this image, please email Alex Wild. (alwild (at) myrmecos.net).  Most of the photographs on myrmecos.net are reduced from their original size and compressed for more efficient web transmission.  In some cases, higher quality versions are available.

This image was captured with a Canon EOS 20D using a Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens.