Geneva Wilderness Area, Seminole County, FL, April 2025. Bioblitz.
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Geneva Wilderness Area, Seminole County, FL, April 2025. Bioblitz.
Detail of the cephalon of a Spiny ant (Polyrhachis ), found in the miombo forests of Mikembo (DR Congo, Katanga, 31 January 2025).
The hairy monster face is obtained by framing just a part of the ants' head, and is 100% inspired from a stunning image by Eugenijus Kavaliauskas: www.flickr.com/photos/dantux/51879894222/in/dateposted/
Studio stack of 141 images (steps of 10 µm with Cognisys StackShot), assembled in Zerene Stacker (Pmax). Sony A7RM5 + bellows + Raynox DCR150 (tube lens) + Mitutoyo M Plan APO 10x/0.28; ISO-100, 1/25sec, -0.7 exposure compensation, diffused LED light (Nanlite Forza 60B II).
Trio of Matabele ants (Megaponera analis; Formicidae) found at Mikembo sanctuary (DR Congo, January 2013).
Studio work. Focus stack of 94 images (15µm steps), assembled in Zerene Stacker (Dmap & Pmax).
Sony A7RM5 + metabones + Canon MP-E 2.8/65mm at 3.2x; ISO-100, f/4, 1/8sec, 1 diffused daylight LED (Nanlite).
A page from my field notebook from 28 June 1994, from Sector Santa Rosa of the Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica. This is what I used to do before digital photography. This shows the tree *Cordia alliodora*, identified for me at the time by Roberto Espinosa (RE), since there were no field guides to plants for the area. Cordia stems are swollen and contain ants, of several species but mostly a small ant with a flattened head, that uses its head to block the entrance to the cavity where they nest. I've since learned that this is the obligate *Cordia* specialist ant, *Zacryptocerus setulifer* (Emery), now known as *Cephalotes setulifer*.
Ashburnham, Massachusetts
Ashburnham, Massachusetts
A colony found under a brick in our back garden.
A colony found under a brick in our back garden.
Black Hammock Wilderness Area, Seminole County, Florida, April 2023. Bioblitz.
Giant forest ant (soldier, Dinomyrmex gigas) from Sumatra (Jambi, March 2021).
Studio work with a dry collection specimen. Focus stack of 136 images; assembled in Zerene Stacker (Dmap & Pmax).
Sony A7RM5, FE 2.8/90 Macro G OSS; ISO-100, f/6.3, 1/2sec, -0.7step, diffused daylight LED.
Dark portrait of a Bullet ant (Paraponera clavata, Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Collection specimen (Ecuador, Coca, 2014).
Studio work with a dried specimen (rehydrated and staged). Focus stack of 119 images, assembled in Zerene Stacker (Pmax & Dmap).
Sony A7RM3 (apsc mode) + Canon MP-E 2.8/65mm at approx. 4x; ISO-50, f/6.3, 0.6sec, -1.7 step, 1 diffused ledlight.
Video showing the entrance of a nest of Matabele ants (Megaponera analis, Hymenoptera, Formicidae). On sunny days these ants bring their pupae outside the nest. They place them with hundreds around the entrance of the nest, with only very few ants guarding them. The ants are already quite active when I set up the camera. In the first half of the video you will see a sudden increase of activity, followed by a rush to take all the pupae back in the nest. They simply didn't like my presence ...
Filmed at Mikembo sanctuary (DR Congo, Katanga, 30 January 2018) with a Sony A6500 & FE 2.8/90 macro G OSS.
Video showing Matabele ants (Megaponera analis, Hymenoptera, Formicidae) carrying dead termites back to the nest. Matabele ants feed on termites by raiding their nests.
Filmed at Mikembo sanctuary (DR Congo, Katanga, 30 January 2018) with a Sony A6500 & FE 2.8/90 macro G OSS.
Closeup image of a Matabele ant in the first comment line.
Bullet ants (Paraponera clavata, Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Collection specimens (Ecuador, Coca, 2014).
Studio work with dried specimens (rehydrated and staged). Focus bracketing, 87 images, assembled in Zerene Stacker (Pmax & Dmap). Canon EOS M6 mark II, EF 100mm macro 1:2.8L IS USM; ISO-100, f/5, 0.5sec, -1 step, natural diffused light.
