Magical Ant
/forum/topic/789795/0

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MarkB1
Registered: Apr 07, 2009
Total Posts: 5389
Country: Australia

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.



This image is copyrighted by the owner






This image is copyrighted by the owner






This image is copyrighted by the owner






This image is copyrighted by the owner






This image is copyrighted by the owner




Mark


orionmystery
Registered: Oct 01, 2008
Total Posts: 7429
Country: Malaysia

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



alliec
Registered: Sep 22, 2007
Total Posts: 305
Country: United Kingdom

The last image is outstanding, great looking ants im jealous



Eldor
Registered: Sep 13, 2002
Total Posts: 2913
Country: Canada

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!



Goldenorfe
Registered: Apr 15, 2008
Total Posts: 7314
Country: United Kingdom

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



Mark Edell
Registered: Jan 29, 2007
Total Posts: 634
Country: United States

Well done, I love them!



MarkB1
Registered: Apr 07, 2009
Total Posts: 5389
Country: Australia

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



MarkB1
Registered: Apr 07, 2009
Total Posts: 5389
Country: Australia

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



billk55
Registered: Mar 26, 2006
Total Posts: 452
Country: United States

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!



n0b0
Registered: Sep 22, 2008
Total Posts: 5062
Country: Australia

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.



MarkB1
Registered: Apr 07, 2009
Total Posts: 5389
Country: Australia

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?



MarkB1
Registered: Apr 07, 2009
Total Posts: 5389
Country: Australia

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



LordV
Registered: Jan 02, 2006
Total Posts: 25172
Country: United Kingdom

Excellent captures of rather beautiful ants !
Brian V.



rgopo13
Registered: Oct 08, 2008
Total Posts: 110
Country: Romania

good ones



michael kilner
Registered: Feb 09, 2007
Total Posts: 8116
Country: United Kingdom

wonderful shots,like them all



Anden
Registered: Jun 22, 2004
Total Posts: 6460
Country: Sweden

lovely series!

A



GC5
Registered: Jun 05, 2008
Total Posts: 1656
Country: United States


Great series!



_evt_
Registered: May 12, 2005
Total Posts: 2307
Country: United States

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



MarkB1
Registered: Apr 07, 2009
Total Posts: 5389
Country: Australia

Thanks you for commenting guys.

Mark



Gary Thompson
Registered: Oct 02, 2007
Total Posts: 3756
Country: United States

Nice series Mark.



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