Let’s talk about #ants and #myrmecology today, because I am seeing these dear little Winter Ants emerging all over the place. Looks like they come out on the first warm spring day, which apparently it is here in #virginia.
I saw this on the outskirts of #mumbai#india, today. Someone on #inaturalist suggested these were #yellowcrazyants . This is very disturbing, as these #ants are one of the worst #invasivespecies in the world. To make matters worse, the place where I saw them is a diverse and vibrant #wetland. Birds from all over the world migrate here.
Could someone help confirm if Yellow Crazy Ants native to India?
Today, on cool critters which share our planet, but which we seldom notice, let's meet the Pagoda ant (Crematogaster sp.).
These tree-dwelling ants are amongst those bugs which have pioneered the making of cardboard (much like the 'paper' wasps which build papery nests from chewed-up plant fiber).
Found in forests, woodland, and scrub jungles, but also in the parks and gardens of urban Mumbai, their large pagoda style nests are not only hard to miss, but also earn them the 'pagoda' moniker.
@futurebird https://youtu.be/9Dle0rmsIYY
Interesting YouTube channel by a hobbyist who raises ants. I used to make Mason jar ant farms as a kid in Texas, until the fire ants arrived. Red ants were ideal for this. They will sting the piss out of you if you're not paying attention, but if you stay out of their trails it's unlikely. Fire ants were way too aggressive to collect. Bringing them inside on purpose was out of the question. #ants#insects#myrmecology#biology