We must imagine Ant Sysiphus happy…

Hi, @futurebird! What do you think of the cutest flatmates I ever had? They are around 1.5mm long and help me clean the kitchen every day... could you help in determining their species?

Frantic activity continues at the cone #ant compound. They are making a network of tunnels.

The species is Dorymyrmex bureni and they are the most tiny frantic ants that I keep. It's a big challenge keeping them inside an enclosure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50unYyz_Nbo

Today, on cool critters which share our planet, but which we seldom notice, let's meet the Pagoda ant (Crematogaster sp.).

These tree-dwelling ants are amongst those bugs which have pioneered the making of cardboard (much like the 'paper' wasps which build papery nests from chewed-up plant fiber).

It's been a few days since I've opened the enclosure for her colony, so she must have been lost in the apartment for several days. She managed to not get eaten by a spider or by #pica! (yes Pica will eat ants)

I gave her some sugar water before returning her to her home. #antVideo #camponotus #ants #antkeeping #antsOfMastodon #WithNarration

https://youtu.be/cugNRyChthg

I know it's hard to believe but I mostly keep this account to try to get people to watch my ant videos. (why I want people to watch ant videos is a question I can't really fathom...) I made a really good new video today with a time lapse that shows how heat sensitive Camponotus discolor are. They move their pupae constantly to maintain ideal development conditions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNwqwxhai_4

New video short (with narration)

"Do Ants Think?"

(The sound on this was a pain, some error made it overlap before but now it is fixed. Thanks, @eclogiter )

#antvideo #ants #camponotus #carpenterAnts #consciousness #invert #invertebrates #antsOfMastodon #withNarration #fediverseExclusive #philosophy #philosophyofmind

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmz1mGEOl9w

Ants are so cute when they are drinking. They bite the water LOL. Check it out. (no narration on this just some quiet music that isn't important.)
#antvideo #antsOfMastodon #ants #ant #insects #macrophotography #wholesome
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2cA20ihIJXU

In past springs I've never had such a large colony. They grew to their current size in the summer. Now they are doing the prep work to have a big population boom for spring. This colony is going to be HUGE. #antvideo #carpenterAnts #camponotus #ants #antsOfMastodon #antqueen

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FlKO-76EIjM

Ants trying to break back in to their home:

(with narration)

#ants #antvideo #antkeeping #antsofmastodon #camponotus

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/exTsIwRWz-4

Check out this incredible 200-day timelapse of the agracultural work of a leaf cutter #ant colony kept as pets by Attines.

The way the fungus mound grows and cycles must be what's happening in their underground chambers all over the Americas.

There are species of leaf-cutters that live as far north as CT. Though the northern species tend to farm fungus on dead, rather than living leaves. #video #antsofmastodon #antvideo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3AZffDtOlw

Ants have excellent mental maps of their nest and territory. When a previously open passage becomes blocked they are very persistent about working to get it open again.

Let's hope these carpenter proof nylon caps hold!

(I think the caps that they chewed through were cheap ones off of ali-express. I've never had this issue with plastic caps before, they *feel* softer than other caps I've used. Lesson Learned!)
#ants, #antstodon #antsofmastodon #badants #camponotus
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9VpUxJtP53I

These girls love their sugar water. Watch how their little gasters expand in this timelapse. I think the feeder will be empty by morning!

(with narration)

#ants #antstodon #antsofmastodon #antkeeping #camponotus #camponotusdiscolor #video #antvideo

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OfQXYZkYeq4