Sanctuary | Natural History
64 Sanctuary Asia, October 2017Sanctuary | Natural History
Photographer: Ripan Biswas
Location: Buxa Tiger Reserve
Details: Camera: Nikon D5200, Lens: Laowa 15 mm. f/4,
Shutter speed: 1/200 sec., Aperture: f/11, ISO 200, Focal length: 15 mm.,
Time: 5:10 p.m.Red
Alert
64 Sanctuary Asia, October 2017An army of Oecophylla weaver ants gnash their
intimidating mandibles, warning the photographer to keep
his distance. These aggressive warriors can infl ict a painful
bite and may go so far as to spray formic acid on the wound,
causing even more pain to their hapless victims.
Weaver ants build and occupy vast colonies that may
comprise dozens of nests harbouring over half a million
workers, categorised as either major or minor. The former are
near 10 mm. in length and handle the ‘heavy lifting’ including
foraging, defending, and expanding the colony. Minor workers
are half this size and ‘keep house’ – looking after the brood
and collecting carbohydrate-rich honeydew excreted by the
colony’s ‘herd’ of myrmecophile aphids, or scale insects to
supplement an insectivorous diet.
“... The ant way of life is very ancient and very successful,”
said celebrated evolutionary biologist E. O. Wilson, whose
studies on ants have expanded our understanding of their
social behaviour and communications.