The Crazy Black Ant (Paratrechina longicornis)

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They are called crazy ants due to their erratic but quick movements, like we call somebody crazy when he is driving with speed with unpredictable directions. I personally find this type of ant extremely difficult to photograph because it doesn't stay put, unless when they're eating. I noticed when the ant is surveying an area, it often return to the some spots for a short duration. I make use of this pattern by pre-focusing on that spot and snap it when it stops there. Here's the shot:

The crazy black ant is not entirely black, but with bluish patches. Their quick reflex and response to objects around them is astonishing!

Ants & Aphids

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Aphids invaded parts of my lawn, due to uncontrolled growth of weeds. Before mowing my lawn, I took the opportunity to observe its activities and capture some photographs.

Fig.1 A group of aphids (young and adults) on the stem of grass

As I was observing, I noticed black spiny ants (polyrhachis sp.) were climbing up and down on these grass where the aphids were. I did not know what they were doing, but noticed the ants were using its antennas to touch the aphids. In some occasion, it pushed the aphids so hard that the aphids were partly lifted off the grass.

Fig 2. A black spiny ant rubbing aphids with its antenna

As ants usually attack or eat other insects, I was surprised it did not attack the aphids. After googling the web, I realised ants have good relationship with aphids. They depend on each other. The ants want the honey the aphids could supply. In return, the aphids are protected from their predators.

Fig 3. An ant passed an aphids with bulky abdomen (indicating honey were available)

Fig 4. "Finger licking good", the ant cleaning up its arm after spilled with honey

Fig 3. Tetramonium hispidum milking honey off an aphids

Other than the black spiny ants, there were another species of ant, tetramonium hispidum, looking for honey from the aphids. Despite its smaller size, the red ants dominates. Black ants were seen being chased away.

Fig 4. Tetramonium hispidum & aphids

Fig 5. Black spiny ant witnessed the birth of a young aphids

Unlike other insects, this species of aphids reproduce asexually where the females give birth to offspring without mating or laying eggs.

Fig 6. A young ant with aphids

Fig 7. Winged aphids

Most adult do not have wings. However, when the population is high, female aphids produce wing capable aphids where the wing will grow as they are matured. This enable them to disperse to other areas for food.

Fig 8. Aphids predator

Where there are aphids, there are predators. Usually the predators are a larvae of beetles.

I have moved to http://keicmacro.blogspot.com/

This blog is about animal photography and the associated names and identification. There shall be more posts on insects than anything else, although I would post photographs of animal from other class such as arachnida. I may write a little about the animal, if I have the information, and will try on a best effort basis to identify it. Comments and correction by readers are most welcome!

I like the idea of a universal mean of grouping animals into groups based on their characteristics and scientific information, taxonomy. Whenever possible, I only use obligatory taxonomy. Eventhough the names appear complex to me, it sounds very cool. For example, the name Canis lupis familiaris sounds much more awesome than just dog. I hope I have the time to learn a little about Latin and Greek words, since the nomenclature of the taxonomy uses this language.

I am not a scientists, nor an entomologists. However, I will try my best to be as accurate as possible with regards to science. As I have a career, which I also have great passion in it, I would not be able to post as often as I wish for this blog. Please subscribe to the RSS feeds to get updates so that you don't have to come back here on and off to check for new updates.

The photograph below is a queen weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina, trying to protect her nest as I approach to photograph her.

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