13 replies to this topic

[klawfran3]

I recently got a colony of Solenopsis xyloni and I've noticed that the workers were attracted to a side of the enclosure that a desk lamp is on. I decided to move the lamp around the enclosure and I noticed that the ants would more or less coagulate on the side it was shining on. I was under the impression that ants were photophobic and would run from light. Has anyone got a reason for this?

[antmaniac]

Maybe the heat they felt?

[LC3]

Makes sense I'm pretty sure S.xyloni are desert ants.

[drtrmiller]

Absolutely the heat.

[kellakk]

They're subterranean and mine don't seem to care much for light.  I would agree with the heat attracting them.

[klawfran3]

Alright that makes much more sense. On a related note are there any ants that are actually attracted to light and not the heat?

[kellakk]

Well, alates will use the sun or moon for navigation and thus are attracted to lights.  There's also some species where workers use the sun for navigation, such as Cataglyphis spp.  Most ants are either adverse to light or easily startled by it, since that kind of response is good for keeping the colony alive.

[William. T]

From what I heard, in the desert, the sunlight brings desiccation and death. All desert ants retreat inside the coolness and darkness of their nests. Perhaps it's a genetic things that allows ants to associate light with death. Heat might have been a factor too.

Edited by William. T, September 23 2015 - 6:24 PM.

[kellakk]

From what I heard, in the desert, the sunlight brings desiccation and death. All desert ants retreat inside the coolness and darkness of their nests. Perhaps it's a genetic things that allows ants to associate light with death. Heat might have been a factor too.

 

As far as biology is concerned, genes are at the heart of all animal morphology and behaviour.

[dspdrew]

Mine have always gathered wherever the heat is.

[klawfran3]

Well, alates will use the sun or moon for navigation and thus are attracted to lights.  There's also some species where workers use the sun for navigation, such as Cataglyphis spp.  Most ants are either adverse to light or easily startled by it, since that kind of response is good for keeping the colony alive.

One thing I never understood about using the sun for navigation is that when the sun moves, how do the ants know it's moved, if they know at all? Lets say you were to take an ant and put a box over it. After waiting a couple hours for the sun to move from the East to the West you take the box off. Would the ant go in the opposite direction it's supposed to now? Doesn't that seem like an issue because the sun is constantly moving?

Edited by klawfran3, September 24 2015 - 7:54 AM.

[Pulliamj]

Well technically the earth is moving .

[drtrmiller]

The ants aren't navigating via the glowing orb of the sun that we see, but rather a combination of electromagnetic, visual, and pheromonal cues—very similar to how birds navigate.  Read up on it.

[klawfran3]

Ahh ok. got any good articles/ papers on it?