1088 replies to this topic

[CoolColJ]

Strobe ant feeds on cricket bit, while sentry looks on

 

[AntsAreUs]

 

Your majesty:

Which species is this?

 

Stigmatomma pallipes

[DaveJay]

Your majesty:

Which species is this?

Stigmatomma pallipes

Thanks, it's a cool looking ant! An interesting hunter too by what I've read just now.

[CoolColJ]

Pics of the 8mm green Rhytidoponera queen I found today.

Even in the shade she looks green, but her gaster is iridescent under light, gold green.

I see she has some blue/purple on her as well

I guess you could say she looks like a R.metallica, but I think she is larger than one of those.

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[CoolColJ]

Nasutitermes fumigatus/dixoni subterranean termites
 
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Edited by CoolColJ, September 26 2018 - 8:56 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Another 7-8mm "green" Rhytidoponera queen I found today in my backyard
 
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[CoolColJ]

ever seen condensation on a queen? well now you have!

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[Major]

ever seen condensation on a queen? well now you have! :oclick to enlargehttps://i.imgur.com/YJI0chs.jpg

One time I accidentally "sighed" on a Crematogaster Lineolata queen and she had some condensation haha.

[CoolColJ]

Another Rhytidoponera queen I found in my backyard a few days ago.

She is about 7-8mm, so on the big side, but when I first captured her, she appeared to have a blue and purple iridescence on her gaster vs gold in my other green Rhytiodponera queens.
But look at that gaster shape - so different to my other queens. So I'm pretty sure this is a different species, and definitely not a R.metallica or R.aspera!

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look at the gaster tip, which drone wouldn't want a piece of that!?

Edited by CoolColJ, October 1 2018 - 12:50 AM.

[CoolColJ]

Camponotus suffusus bendigensis queen

Well she is certainly different from my other 2 dead suffusus queens, she is a subspecies of suffusus actually.
The maroon patch on her thorax is much more clear and distinct, as are her red legs, but no red on her head.
The other queens I had, were mostly black looking, with a hint of maroon on the thorax and head in bright light.
The gold hairs on her gaster are on the top part vs on the lower part of a regular suffusus

Her workers will have the same colour differences to a regular suffusus

She measured 17-18mm


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[CoolColJ]

Pics of one of the Myrmecia nigrocincta queens I have here, for now

They have quite a lot of personality, a lot more pet like, like a cat/dog compared to other ants.
Their good eyesight helps, much like my strobe ants

These are quite timid and docile for now

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Edited by CoolColJ, October 16 2018 - 9:07 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Aphaenogaster longiceps 12-13mm queen

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[FSTP]

I love a nice round gaster.

[ConcordAntman]

CoolColJ, please post the lenses and settings you used (if its not too much trouble). Aspiring newbie macro photographers want to emulate you!

[CoolColJ]

CoolColJ, please post the lenses and settings you used (if its not too much trouble). Aspiring newbie macro photographers want to emulate you!

lenses and settings I use won't make much sense unless you use the same sensor format I use
Pansonic G85 - Micro 4/3 sensor size

In any case I have 2 lenses I use - they are quite similar, 45mm Pana Leica macro lens and Olympus 60mm macro lens.
For the former, I bought second hand for much cheaper otherwise it is very expensive, I use a 10mm to 16mm lens extension tube with it to get more magnification.
For the second lens, since it has a larger focal length, Raynox 250 strap on works better for magnification.
The first option has greater depth of field, Raynox seems cut depth of field in half.

Camera settings - I normally bounce between f11 to f16 aperture, the later cuts down the light tremendously, but gives greater depth of field, and slightly less sharp image.
shutter speed 1/1000-1300 for F11, 1/500-800 for F16. This all depends on the scene and how much light is bouncing around.
This is just to freeze the motion of ants and keep motion blur when I shoot hand held to a minimum.
I typical set the shutter speed to under exposure slightly and brighten up when editing later

To use these type of setting in a macro situation, you will need a powerful external flash, pointed directly down towards the front of the lens.
I've tried a lot of ways to mount this, the easiest is just a heavy duty ball head on the flash mount that you can angle the flash as you desire.
The other ways are strapping an articulating arm onto a plate screwed into the tripod mount and you can move the flash where you want etc

Since it's so close you will need to heavily diffuse it as well, I just stack and rubber band a bunch of paper foam over the lens, or a layer of kitchen tissue paper.
Each material has a different look and effect on the light, experimenting is needed.
I sometimes use the wide angle mode on the flash, popping down it's diffuser, softens the light a bit more, but not so good in test tubes.

I also added a quick release plate to the tripod mount and add small gorilla pod tripod thing to hold onto or butt against a surface to stabilize the camera when needed.
Like when your leaning against a table top etc.
When out in the field having a stick you can hold onto while you brace the camera helps.
You can also attach a string to the tripod mount, and the other end to the ground, attached to something you can put your foot on and then tension the string to stabilize the camera,
works better than expected

[ConcordAntman]

Many thanks!

[CoolColJ]

Heterotermes termite queen and king pairing


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[CoolColJ]

14mm Pheidole cf antipodum queen with her brood. Some are tiny nanitic pupa, and some larger larvae, possibly nanitic majors

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[CoolColJ]

Sweet little bundle of joy she is, this Myrmecia fulvipes queen, I almost want to pat and stroke her... but yeah she would sting me
She measures 17-18mm.
So not only does she look like a Camponotus suffusus bendingesis, she also measures around the same

https://imgur.com/CT2OmpB


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[CoolColJ]

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