Some antics

[LordV]

Some ant pics. These are small black ants Lasius niger on the stems of margeurite flowers. In the first two shots I did an experiment by gently guiding one of those abseiling caterpillars onto the stem where the ants were milking aphids for honeydew. One of the ants immediately grabbed the caterpillar and ran down the stem with it. Conclusion- ants prefer meat to honeydew.
In the third shot- it looks like a concerned ant is watching the birth of yet another aphid.

brian V.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3238/2693975828_a97953583c_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3266/2693975838_66a2bea9db_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3293/2695404970_e964bb2f6a_o.jpg

[Sugarman]

Great captures Brian-I guess when I'm working 3rd shift I'm on your schedule-too bad it's dark here, and not enough time to take pics on top of that-after all I am at work!

[spidermanrbryce2006]

i love you ant series, the last shot is the best by far!

[CamDiver]

Not sure I agree with the sacrificial offerings of a caterpillar to get a photo. Great captures otherwise.

Cheers,
Mark.

[orionmystery]

Lovely captures, Brian. So much going on esp in the 3rd pic :)

[LordV]

Thanks for the comments all :)

Mark - not something I would normally do, but these are apple moth caterpillars- they are lucky I don't spray the tree and greaseband the trunk to kill them all. A delicate balance between a potential subject and a downright pest.

Brian V.