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Tag Archives: Formica exsectoides
The Ants are Back
I looked at the nest of Formica exsectoides in our back yard yesterday. The ants are moving, slowly bringing debris out the entrance to the top of the nest. I hope to have a different photographic obsession this year. I … Continue reading
The Evil Springtail
During the spring and summer of 2010 I spent several days watching and photographing ants and visitors on a nest of the Allegheny mound-building ant. On June second I saw what I thought was the most remarkable event I have witnessed on … Continue reading
Posted in ants, formica exsectoides
Tagged ants, evil, Formica exsectoides, springtails, violence
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Just Passing Through
One day while I was watching the top of a mound of Formica exsectoides I saw a dark object rapidly moving across the mound, apparently carefully avoiding any ants or other creatures that could be found there. I snapped a … Continue reading
A Pretty Good Ant Mimic
While photographing the mound of the Allegheny mound ant I noticed what I thought was a black ant crawling on the grass that grows on the mound. It was moving fairly rapidly, but I was able to get a few … Continue reading
Posted in ants, formica exsectoides
Tagged Alydus, ants, bugs, Formica exsectoides, mimicry
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Debris
In April a cluster of debris could be seen on the outside of the mound, presumably brought up from inside.
Photos From the Ant Mound
When I photographed the visitors to the ant mound, I thought I would see some creatures that are dependant upon the ants to live–parasites, commensals, or symbiotic organisms. But how do you determing that? I’m not sure I saw much … Continue reading
Posted in ants, formica exsectoides, insects, Uncategorized
Tagged Formica exsectoides, Red velvet mite, sawfly larva, springtail
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An Ant Mound Through the Year
This summer I spent a lot of time photographing some ants and their visitors around the nest of Allgeheny mound building ants, Formica exsectoides. A lot about the ant is still a mystery to me, but I did learn a few … Continue reading
Posted in ants, formica exsectoides
Tagged Allgeheny moundbuilding ant, ant mounds, ants, Formica exsectoides
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Other Ant Species on the Nest of Formica exsectoides
In the previous post I mentioned that the beetle Thecesternus affinis was not noticed by Formica exsectoides. It was noticed by another species of ant that was on the mound, however. This is an odorous house ant, Tapinoma sessile. I have seen this species … Continue reading
Posted in ants, formica exsectoides, Uncategorized
Tagged allgeheny mound ant, ants, commensalism, Formica exsectoides, Tapinoma sessile, Temnothorax
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What is the Habitat of a Beetle?
My son Eric is in 7th grade, and he wanted some help with his science. He was supposed to come up with a description of a habitat and a niche for a number of different living things. Turtle? That is … Continue reading
Posted in ants, formica exsectoides, insects, Uncategorized
Tagged beetles, Calomycterus setarius, Formica exsectoides
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