next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects
Dear All, Oct 13, 2015
Yesterday afternoon, being mild and calm about 4:00, I took Alison out
for tea in the yard perhaps for the last time this fall. Shortly after
turning a white plastic table upright I noticed a tiny pale amber and nearly
translucent ant which I put in a vial (with air holes) in the fridge until I
had time to look at it. By this morning it was dead so I may keep it after
all.
The abdomen had flopped sideways so direct measure of length was not
possible. But by measuring abdomen length and head end to abdomen by ocular
micrometer I get 1.37 mm as a first measure.
Ants this small may be common in Berlese funnel surveys of forest litter
but the smallest ant I have seen previously was likely about 4 mm. Comments
?
I find that adding about 1/10 Jamiacan-style Ginger Beer to tea improves
it
and the yard Yellowjackets liked it also yesterday. When they 'drink' from
a drop or puddle of liquid the distal 3/4 of the abdomen moves up and down
while becoming shorter and longer. I would guess this is some kind of a
drinking mechanism. They seemed quite at ease and would drink while perching
on my finger; provided I didn't get my head too close.
Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects