I enjoy watching them work. I wonder if they ever "argue" over good pieces of whatever it is that they're gathering or eating. They have to have some kind of intercolony problems haha everyone is trying to impress the queen
The fact that you think they're "simple" shows that you don't appreciate the incredible complexities of all life.
When I was a kid during indoor recess in 3rd grade there were ants in the room. Me and some kids made a "killing house" out of linkin logs and kinnex. We put a dorito inside to attract the ants. When there were about 10 or so ants in there we destroyed the house with a make believe tornado and that killed most of them but we stomped on them to make sure they were dead. Creative af Sent from my XT1080 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRI3UXtglSw This guy was at it for a bit before I started recording. A heavily guarded chicken tender that I left for them yesterday.. It's almost like it NEEDS a sample to take back. He tried at 1:13, and failed.. But I do love how it's poking and prodding, trying to learn.
Late to the party, but I've seen ants get into a lil tug-o-war over a piece of food.. but they usually stop once they realize what is going on or work together. If I felt like combing through all my videos, I could probably find a clip of it.. but I have way too much footage to go through. Ants are pretty much my favorite insect and I like to look at them like tiny human insects, but I don't think they have the emotional qualities to try and impress their queen. There are definitely inter-colony disputes though. When they sense a queen is on her last leg, many times different species will basically overthrow her.. brutally ripping her apart and replacing her with a stronger queen. Here's an American Carrion Beetle and various other insects having a meal.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUiFNd5Iyd0 A Wheel Bug nymph.. probably shouldn't have been poking it as it's bite is said to be somewhat painful, but after I found out what it was, I kind of want to get bit to find out myself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0UX1bfxQmA And.. some more ants.. They are also moving their eggs, I think. Could be eggs they stole, but I think it's their own and probably just moving them from an area that got damaged from another insect. Lots of beetles and other insects live in this dead tree too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq3qVCMkWBY
Of the order "Megaloptera" http://sploid.gizmodo.com/worlds-largest-and-grossest-aquatic-insect-discovered-i-1608220936
gnarly looking caterpillar, didn't wanna touch him haha Sent from my XT1058 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
I love observing most insects, the only exceptions are large spiders and certain types of centipdes(although not millipedes, interestingly enough), while I still find them cool on an intellectual level(especially spiders, they play an extremely important role in our ecosystems) they evoke this primal phobia in me, even looking at videos of them on here, just a remnant of my more basic brain function I guess. In a nearby city there's this pretty big bug museum/zoo that houses all kinds of indigenous and exotic species of insects and arachnids, went there as a kid and it blew my mind, really kindled my interest. They really are the foundation of our ecosystem.
Holy shit, that's one huge dobsonfly species! Lol the retarded link title annoys me, that thing is GORGEOUS.
Its sublime. The wings look like carefully crafted stained glass that are in stark contrast with the savage fierceness of the body. Bugs rock!
I was slightly jealous cause I never saw one of these.. until today! I am building a doggie ramp at work and spotted it crawling along, so I recorded it. I'll try to upload it when I get home, but I've been lazy with uploading.. need to get caught up. Mobile mumbling..
Yeah, I don't really mind cockroaches.. Only bugs I have a distaste for are flies, mosquitoes, and ticks. Been trying to upload these damn videos, and looks like YouTube is being slow.. but I got one up and running. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGPMvHUz8Ic It says part 2 cause part 1 was with the pseudoscorpion, which has been sitting at 95% processed since fooooorever ago.. but it was shooting for a tree to zip across. If you notice it's line broke.. so I ended up moving it over to the tree then and it scurried on up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SP58i8pQzg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdCTYz_K_dc Finally got them up.. The pseudoscorpion was neat to see. The crab spider was just being silly. Think the light might have messed with him or he was trying to get to the camera lens, but then it's like he got bored and wanted to leave. Went to the corner and put out a line trying to get to a tree. Then part 2 above is where he was trying to tighten it but it broke.. so I ended up giving him a ride.
I found a gorgeous jumping spider today while working. Made a quick video, then put it in a cardboard box so I could come back and make a better video, but it escaped. Thought I had it fully secured, but it figured a way out.. I'll try to get it uploaded later tonight. Mobile mumbling..
Helminthoglypta 'shoulderband' snail. A native species to southern California. These snails are disappearing rapidly due to habitat loss, two introduced predatory snails, and having no toxins, they're defenseless. The only reason they still survive is because they can estivate for more than one year. Within a decade I can see these snails being added to the endangered species list. Unlike the common introduced garden snails, these never attack plants, and prefer rotting vegetation and occasionally scavenge carrion, provided it's decomposed enough to eat. this time of year everything is drier, so I didn't find any snail eating beetles.
Beautiful Paraphidippus aurantius!! This is probably one of the most beautiful spiders on earth. If I could get a breeding pair of these, I'd be very happy.