ants falling down on job

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MichAg92
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p.1 #1 · ants falling down on job

Shots one and two are of the ant aphid colonies on our nearly-gone dahlias. Shot 3 is some larva (any id help appreciated) that I presume is leaving the trail of aphid carnage you see in the shot. What I don't understand is why the aphids are crawling all over the larva as if this were a good idea. Any thoughts?
-Amy

2008 © MichAg92

Oct 06, 2008 at 08:20 PM

Goldenorfe
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p.1 #2 · ants falling down on job

nice shots Amy, havnt seen this behaviour this year, no aphids in garden atall this year!
phil

Oct 06, 2008 at 08:27 PM

Tim Dollear
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p.1 #3 · ants falling down on job

very cool pics, sorry I can't help on the behavior however.

Oct 06, 2008 at 09:27 PM

Adrian Jones
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p.1 #4 · ants falling down on job

Lovely series Amy, when aphids are disturbed from their feeding they often wander aimlessly around for a while before settling back down to feeding in a group, they possibly just don't realise that they are crawling onto the hover fly larva.

Adrian

Oct 06, 2008 at 09:42 PM

MichAg92
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p.1 #5 · ants falling down on job

Thanks, Phil, Tim, Adrian. Thanks for the larva id and information, Adrian - they certainly did seem a bit aimless (and unwise).

Oct 07, 2008 at 11:22 AM

LordV
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p.1 #6 · ants falling down on job

Lovely series Amy- aphid colonies are wonderful little ecosystems

Oct 07, 2008 at 11:50 AM

Pixel Perfect
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p.1 #7 · ants falling down on job

Nice work Amy, always great to see behavioural series.

Oct 07, 2008 at 01:34 PM

MichAg92
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p.1 #8 · ants falling down on job

LordV wrote:
Lovely series Amy- aphid colonies are wonderful little ecosystems

As Adrian says the larva is a hover fly happily munching the aphids. If you watch hovers laying eggs some species search out the aphid colonies and lay one or two eggs near each one.
AFAIK when an aphid is attcked it releases alarm pheromones from those twin exhaust pipes which makes the other aphids stop their feeding/withdraw their stylus and start moving.

Did the ants take any interest in this ?

Brian V.

The ants were nowhere to be foud on the stem anymore, so I don't now whether they gave up or were busy moving as many as they could -I have sen ants moving their aphid colony before, but a search around this dessimated colony didn't reveal any hero ants. If there were phermones being released, the other aphids will not be long for the natural selection process, as they didn't seem to be receiving the signal

Oct 07, 2008 at 05:08 PM

MichAg92
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p.1 #9 · ants falling down on job

Pixel Perfect wrote:
Nice work Amy, always great to see behavioural series.

Thanks, whayne

Oct 07, 2008 at 05:08 PM

Kevin Theron
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p.1 #10 · ants falling down on job

that guys' like a bulldozer, just clearing a path ahead of him

nice set Amy

Oct 08, 2008 at 08:57 AM

remus
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p.1 #11 · ants falling down on job

Lovely behavioral shots! very good focus and light.
Remus

Oct 08, 2008 at 10:21 AM

MichAg92
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p.1 #12 · ants falling down on job

Thanks, Kevin and Remus

I do feel a bit sorry for the unawares aphids - hope it hatches into a pretty hover

Oct 08, 2008 at 10:27 PM

lextalionis
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p.1 #13 · ants falling down on job

Good shots and interesting series Amy.

-Roy

Oct 09, 2008 at 01:15 AM

Dalantech
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p.1 #14 · ants falling down on job

Excellent behavioral shots Amy!

Oct 09, 2008 at 05:52 PM

MichAg92
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p.1 #15 · ants falling down on job

lextalionis wrote:
Good shots and interesting series Amy.

-Roy

thanks, Roy. I am still enamoured of this whole farming phenomenon.

Oct 09, 2008 at 10:14 PM

MichAg92
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p.1 #16 · ants falling down on job

Dalantech wrote:
Excellent behavioral shots Amy!

Thanks, John

Oct 09, 2008 at 10:14 PM


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