25.4mm Ant

[kinetic]

This little guy was wandering across our verandah today.
I'd hate to step on one barefoot in the dark! :)
We get the occasional visitor like this even though we are
100s of metres away from large gums where their nests are.
Pentax DSLR with Achromatic Macro lens.

Steve

[[1ponders]]

Thats not an ant. That's a dinosaur. What a great shot Steve. I thought our jumping ants were vicious looking but he takes the cake. I'd hate to get a finger in those jaws. They look like someone has taken two pieces of the movable parts of a mudcrabs claws and stuck them to the ants face.

Great shot

[Lumen Miner]

Did he jump at all? If not he is probably a Brown. Cute lil' guys arn't they!!

[mithrandir]

I'm not sure I'd want to get that close. One is bad enough. Try dealing with hundreds of them.

But they're nowhere near as vicious as fire ants.



It looks like one of our Sydney bull ants.

To get into macro I think I need some closeup rings for my Sony. The 70-300mm tele only does about 1/3 lifesize. Are the Kenko automatic rings the best choice without the price getting out of hand?

[dpastern]

Looks like a bull ant to me - myrmecia family I'd say. #2 is a cracking good shot! Well done Steve.

Dave

edit: even smaller ant bites in numbers can be deadly. 10 or so green ant bites in quick succession would probably kill most people I'd say.

[Lumen Miner]

Perhaps a reversing ring?
Wack a reversed 50mm on that baby and then you'll be talkin'. No DOF though.

This was a reversed 50mm on a digi PS. It's a head shot of a Sydney Brown Bull ant.

[troypiggo]

Yep, it's a bull ant, sometimes called jumping jacks. Cool looking, hey. I liked ponders' description - thought the same thing myself.

[lacad01]

Solid looking fellow, wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of those jaws :)

[Ric]

Fantastic shots Steve, great detail.

We call them Inchmen, If they bite you it bloody hurts believe me and for an hour or two as well.

If your near the nest they will follow the vibration of your footsteps for quite a way to protect it.

[Dennis]

Wow – nice (scary!) shot Steve! Do they “just” bite or do they also inject formic acid or some other irritant?

Cheers

Dennis

[dpastern]

Bite and inject...

Dave

[hotspur]

Thats a Myramica sp

great looking ant,we have them here,just outside

our gate,i i have put 4 posts around there nest,so

it does'nt get run over with lawn mower,and it remains

protected.

They have a nasty nip,but from memory not a posion.

I caught one in my bug catcher when i was a child,it escaped

and bit my sister,she really cried a lot,but is still alive,

but has'nt spoken to me ever since.I think there is a

species in this genus down in Victoria or Tassie,thats a bit

more nasty.i will check entomological book.

Fine capture,well done

[Lumen Miner]

Bull ants are not sometimes called jumping jacks. Jumping bull ants are sometimes called jumping jacks. There are several types of bull ants, not all jump.
The Sydney Brown bull ant does not jump.



They can also see up to 2.5m away.



Yup they produce a venom, that's why the bite hurts so much.
They also excreet it when they die.

[bloodhound31]

Wow! That is one scary lookin' close-up. Long DoF. Hard to do with my 18-55....

Two thumbs up mate.

Baz.

[dpastern]

I actually have a copy of the 2 volume CSIRO Insects of Australia - not cheap @ AU $400 for the pair I might add. Very detailed the most in depth look at Australian insects. Very heavy duty reading...

Dave

[hotspur]

Yes,David-they are a very good set of books

got a set 20 years ago.

your collection of natural history books sounds similar

to mine,

cheers

[dpastern]

I have a very comprehensive collection of books on Australian insects, and especially, Australian spiders. Most people wouldn't have anywhere near what I have :)

Dave

[troypiggo]

Sounds like the magazine collection I had when I was a teenager. Oh, wait, you said "insects"... I thought you were talking about porn...

[kinetic]

Thank you all for the comments.
I thought it was a stock standard inch ant...shows
my ignorance of the ant world :)
I have been bitten by these buggers as a kid though.
Very painful!

Steve

[troypiggo]

Sorry for attempting humour in your thread, Steve. Please don't take it as a sign of disrespect.

[hotspur]

Sound like you have a few more spider books than me David,

I have more than most people,in Icthyology,Herpetology,

entomology,and Ornithology.Most of mine have been signed by

author,or co-authors,i have worked with many in various fields.

Help discover a new species of 'Ctenotus' skink at Mt Coot-tha

In the Eighties,actually discovered the first known specimen

at the time in the Brisbane area.

IT all started when i was expelled from Kindergarten over 40

years ago for droping my bug box,and all the insects(i was into cicadas at the time,escaped and all the kiddies had to be evacuated).so yes,have been collecting for a long time.

My stories would make Gerald Durell look like picnic.:)

[Jen]

:eyepop: nothing cute about those things at all ewwwww :lol:

Awsome pic though Steve :thumbsup:

[dpastern]

Chris, I'll send you a PM a bit later after brekkie with a list of my books.

Dave

[ving]

EEK!!!
/me hides