I've been waiting a while for these fellows to present. They are very quiet for ants, no running about where they can be seen. They don't eat what other ants eat, that I know of. But for the last couple of days just a few have been eating the fermenting banana and I coaxed a pose or two from them while they are slowed down.

Great shots....esp love the first and the last image! Amazing looking ants!

The last image is outstanding, great looking ants im jealous

Impressive!

I've just recently gotten into doing macros and it's HARD!!! Especially with anything that moves. Heck, I'm even finding earthworms to move too quickly!

So seeing stuff like this really impresses me.

Cheers!

superb! wonderfull looking ants, how big are they? are they veggies
phil

Well done, I love them!

Thanks guys.

They are about 7mm long and according to the experts they are "Rhytidoponera metallica - Green-head Ants scavenge and prey on insects and other invertebrates such as worms. Also eats sugary foods, and attends scale insects to collect the honey dew exuded from them."

I haven't seen them much as they tend to keep to the ground under the grass. I saw one on a plant last year in another place, and maybe one in a thousand rarely feed on the apple + banana left out for the possum.

Mark

Eldor wrote:
Impressive!

I've just recently gotten into doing macros and it's HARD!!! Especially with anything that moves. Heck, I'm even finding earthworms to move too quickly!

So seeing stuff like this really impresses me.

Cheers!


Fast moving earthworms.

I used to find it very hard on the back until I got a cam with the articulating LCD but it's still a matter of conditioning the body to the particular positioning and bracing is paramount when shooting anything on the move, with some leeway for rapid and minor adjustment, not unlike a gun turret. I suspect everybody has a relatively low keeper rate on moving subjects.

With all the great and various shooters in FM I reckon you are in the right place to learn, as am I, learning.

Mark

Amazing shots - thanks for sharing. When I see photos like these, all I can think of is how scientists of even 25 years ago would have killed for the variety and detail that we can now produce. Kudos!

Excellent shots of the green head ants mate!! What are those hollow things the ants are standing on?

These ants are hard to take photos of since they didn't stop for long even when I used honey as bait. Not much info on them online as well.

billk55 wrote:
Amazing shots - thanks for sharing. When I see photos like these, all I can think of is how scientists of even 25 years ago would have killed for the variety and detail that we can now produce. Kudos!

Thanks mate, pity the scientists aren't using the images to spread the word in a world where science rules. Maybe the pix would detract too much from the science?

n0b0 wrote:
Excellent shots of the green head ants mate!! What are those hollow things the ants are standing on?

These ants are hard to take photos of since they didn't stop for long even when I used honey as bait. Not much info on them online as well.

Thanks n0b0. That is some kind of nest attached to the underside of a fallen leaf, someone else suggested a wasp nest?

I have been seeing these ants for a long time and only recently have a few come out to eat what everything else eats, the fruit I have been putting out to attract something to the back yard, some apple and 'bat got at' bananas from the tree. I put some honey down for them and they just ignored it. Could be seasonal so I'll be checking as the year progresses.

Mark

Excellent captures of rather beautiful ants !
Brian V.

good ones

wonderful shots,like them all

lovely series!

A

Great series!

Damn! The details and colors on these are great! Wonderful set of images.

Thanks you for commenting guys.

Mark

Nice series Mark.