Ant in the evening…
Category: Ants, Culture, Ecology, Forests | Date: Nov 11 2009 | By: dududiaries
Ant in the evening…
A few weeks ago while visiting a forest at the coast I took a stroll in the evening. One of the most common kinds of ants along the East African coast are members of the genus Polyrachis. These are fairly large (as ants go!), over 1 cm long, and can commonly be found clambering around houses and trees.
This particular ant was wandering up a twig of a tangled shrub at the edge of the path. It walked up and down the stem several times before climbing onto a leaf. These ants are famous for tending other insects – primarily bugs of various kinds that suck plant juices and reward the ants with treats of honeydew. I found this bug lying against the stem where the ant was walking up and down.
After a few minutes, the ant clambered on to a leaf in the sunshine. There it sat sunning itself for a few minutes before wandering off.
I wonder what it was thinking of – perhaps ‘How do I get home to my colony?’, Or was it, just like I was, enjoying the evening sunshine streaming through the forest… It seems that even ants need a moment to themselves sometimes.
Tags: Ants, Dino Martins, Kenya, polyrachis, watamu
Happy little Buffs…
Category: Ants, Butterflies, Culture, Ecology | Date: Nov 02 2009 | By: dududiaries
Hello!
Sorry for not posting more often – have been really busy chasing after bugs now that the rains have started and they are popping out all over the place!
Many, many thanks to everyone for their kind comments on the blog post ‘Ants in the dust’. I will try and post a link to the BBC piece on it when I can figure out the technical side of it today or tomorrow.
A couple of days ago in a tiny forest fragment near Nairobi I spotted these little beauties whirling about some buds. From a distance they looked like tiny little orange flames dancing in the dappled light. On taking a closer look I saw that they were tiny orange and brown lycaenid butterflies.
Known as ‘Buffs’, these tiny jewels are part of a large and diverse group of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae. This species is Baliochila fragilis – an apt name for their delicate build. The caterpillars of these butterflies feed on lichens, often high up in the forest trees, so it was interesting to find them hovering about near the ground.
Looking closely at the butterflies perching on the buds of the Chlorophytum, I noticed that there were a lot of ants running up and down the buds too. And then I noticed that the butterflies had their tiny proboscis unfurled and were feeding from in between the young buds. These buds secrete extra-floral nectar which is intended to attract ants that then patrol the buds and protect them from would-be nibblers of the insect-kind. However, as the butterflies posed no threat the flowers, the ants seemed to tolerate them.
In fact, the butterflies were so relaxed that quite a few of the males were courting the females. The pair in the video clip below show the typical interaction. The male sidles up to the female. She rejects him with a flick of her wings and moves on trying to keep feeding. He follows her and flicks his own wings at her trying to win her over… She rejects him and keeps on moving… the cycle is repeated over and over again. I guess eventually some of the most perseverant males win one of the females over!
More from the wonderful world of bugs soon!
Tags: Ants, Baliochila, Butterflies, Dino Martins, lepidoptera, lycaenidae, Technomyrmex
Ants in the dust…
Category: Ants, Culture, Ecology | Date: Oct 13 2009 | By: dududiaries
Ants in the dust…
The drought continues here on the plains. Today at midday I stopped by the harvester ant nest to check on how they were doing. While most of the other animals were resting almost comatose in the shade due to the burning heat, the ants were hard at work.
They were working hard at scrounging whatever they could find out on the parched, overgrazed grassland. The harvester ants typically feed on the seeds of grasses. They diligently collect these from the surrounding areas and carefully carry them back to their nest. However, at the moment there is hardly any grass around, let along grass seeds, as everything has been nibbled away by the voracious mouths of cattle. Despite their desperate attempts to graze, the cattle are still dying in large numbers.
The ants were still trying to find food out in the midday sun nonetheless. I watched them bringing back all manner of things to their nest. In these tough times beggars can’t be choosers. Here is schematic sketch of their nest in the dust…
They brought back tiny dried bits of grass, no more than mere wisps of dessicated leaves. A few lucky ants had found the odd large seed or tiny pod from one of the many herbs that grow hidden in clefts among the rocks where mouths and hooves can’t reach them. Some managed to find the odd wisp of grass seed that was tucked away in a rocky crack out of reach to hungry cows…
A few lucky ants even managed to catch the odd item of prey – though these were mainly hapless bugs who themselves had succumbed to the heat and drought.
After just a few minutes of watching them I was so hot and starting to feel dizzy from the glare. I walked away from the nest seeking scant shade and wondering how life just keeps on going even in the face of such adversity. I hope that we get some rain soon!
More from the wonderful world of bugs soon.
Tags: BBC Digital Planet, cattle, dino j. martins, drought, harvester ants, Messor
Ant and caterpillar battle…
Category: Ants, Butterflies, Culture, Ecology | Date: Aug 04 2009 | By: dududiaries
The Ant and the Caterpillar
On a recent trip to the Kenyan coast I was wandering down a path and noticed a bright purple blob ambling along beside me. I looked down and admired the plump, brightly coloured caterpillar wondering what butterfly or moth it might eventually turn into.
As I watched it making its way down the path, I noticed a movement out of the corner of my eye. I was not the only one who had spotted the caterpillar.
A large Stink Ant, a common predator of the coastal forests, was also making its way towards the caterpillar. The ant appraised the caterpillar briefly before running up and grabbing it with its large, sharp and serrated mandibles. The caterpillar twitched back and forth, but could not free itself. Now the Stink Ant curved her abdomen forward and delivered a powerful sting to the caterpillar.
The hapless caterpillar continued to struggle while the Stink Ant clung on tenaciously with its powerful jaws.
As the caterpillar tried to free itself, another tiny ant ran up briefly to the pair engaged in battle. It drummed its antennae against the caterpillar then, likely sensing the presence of the other larger Stink Ant, ran away as fast as its little legs could carry it! It looked like the smaller ant was fleeing, but little did any of us; caterpillar, Stink Ant or yours truly know what was in store…
The Stink Ant and the caterpillar continued to battle on. At one point the caterpillar tried twisting around to grab hold of its tormentor. However, the clever Stink Ant clung on with its jaws, while carefully holding its legs back so that the caterpillar could not get a hold. The caterpillar’s small weak jaws were no match for the ants’ jaws and venom anyway.
After what seemed like an eternity of twenty-seven minutes, the caterpillar began to weaken. No doubt the venom delivered by the Stink Ant’s powerful sting was beginning to take effect. The caterpillar acquiesced to its fate and allowed the Stink Ant to drag it down the path deeper into the forest.
At this point, my camera battery ran flat. I rushed back to the house flailing about for a spare battery. I quickly changed it and rushed back to down the path to where I had left the caterpillar and the Stink Ant.
For a moment, I couldn’t find them and my heart sank. I so wanted to see the battle through to its end. Then I noticed a frenetic struggle going on at the edge of the path. On closer inspection, it proved to the be the same caterpillar now being devoured by hundreds of Big-Headed Ants!
The tiny ant who had visited the battling pair earlier on was no shy wanderer. It was a sneaky spy! That little ant was a foraging scout, sent out by the colony in search of potential food. She had summoned her sisters and here they were now carting off the caterpillar! The Big Headed ants have several worker castes, as you can see from the picture, including ones with massive heads and jaws. These individuals with extra-large heads and jaws are known as ‘majors’.
As I wondered what had happened to the Stink Ant, who had worked so hard for her supper, I noticed another pile of Big Headed ants battling away a couple of feet from me. On closer inspection it turned out to be the Stink Ant being devoured herself!
As I noticed this several of the Big Headed ants had by now found their way up my sandals onto my feet. As one of the ‘majors’ sank its jaws into my skin I leapt back, brushed them off and made my way down the path appreciating the fact that nature is truly ‘red in tooth and claw’!
Mysterious wasp…
Category: Ants, Ecology | Date: Apr 07 2009 | By: dududiaries
As many of you know who read this blog, a lot of my time is spent watching the amazing interactions of insects on the ant-acacias. The other day I found this incredible wasp inspecting the swollen thorns. The long pointy-thing is her ovipositor (egg-laying device). With this she lays her eggs - inside the bodies of other insects! This is a parasitic species. I’m still trying to figure out if she is after the ants or some other ant-guests, such as caterpillars, inside the galls! More soon - thanks to everyone for the comments .
Leopard Orchid…
Category: Ants, Flies, Orchid | Date: Aug 31 2008 | By: dududiaries
Have been looking closely at a Leopard Orchid (Ansellia africana) to see what kinds of ants visit and potentially tend the buds and flowers. This species of orchid is found along the coast and in the Rift Valley as well as in the western forests of our region. It is a very pretty plant - as you can see from the flowers, the name “Leopard Orchid” is very apt! It is a very variable species. This one is from near Lake Nakuru in the Great Rift Valley:
And this one is from the Kerio Valley:
There’s even a rare, beautiful heavy-spotted form from the rainforest called the “Black Leopard Orchid”. Here’s a sketch I made of it some years ago:
The flowers of the Leopard Orchid are interesting in that they don’t produce any nectar - just a pleasant lemony scent - and so con bees into pollinating them. However, the buds do secrete nectar droplets before they open and these attract ants…
Yet another mystery that needs to be solved! More soon - thanks for your comments…
More Kerio Valley bugs
Category: Ants, Flies, Grass hoppers | Date: Aug 24 2008 | By: dududiaries
There were a lot of ants scurrying about on other vegetation as well as the ant-acacias. This was one of the more striking species - wearing a fringing tutu of golden hairs! 
While fiddling with the camera I noticed a very STRANGE creature moving about on some herbs. A closer look revealed that it was a bizarre and wonderful Stalk-Eyed Fly. This group of flies incredibly have their eyes on the ends of long stalks! They are considered a fine example of sexual selection - where females are choosing mates based on the length of their stalks. The males sometimes go ‘eye-to-eye’ pushing each other back and forth like two sparring bulls. 
Later in the late hot afternoon as I sat in the sparse shade of an acacia I noticed a piece of dirt moving. On closer inspection it turned out to have eyes and legs - can you spot it in the picture below? 
A close look revelaed that it was a brilliantly camouflaged grasshopper… 
As I watched him, another grasshopper leapt out of a nearby clump and landed on the ground next to me. He wiggled his antennae at me as if to say “What about me - I’d like my picture taken too!” Of course, I obliged… 
After I took the picture he hopped back into the grass where he was much better concealed. More from the world of insects soon - thanks to everyone for the kind comments.
Ant-acacias…
Category: Ants | Date: Aug 24 2008 | By: dududiaries
Here are some of the ants that live on the ant-acacia trees in the Kerio Valley. First here’s a portrait of an acacia tree… 
The main ants that tend the trees are known as ‘cocktail ants’ (Crematogaster spp.) because the raise their abdomens into the air when alarmed. Here are a few of them have a tete-a-tete… 
Many of the cocktail ants are brightly coloured, like this one who is red-and-black…. 
There are lots of other species of ants on the trees. Some don’t actually live on the tree but visit it - scurrying up and down the trunk. In order to photograph these flighty creatures I put out a few drops of diluted honey. They soon found the sweet treat and settled down to drink. 
They were not the only sugar lovers around - a number of flies also stopped by the droplet for a drink too! On the whole most of the ants and flies were happy to share the unexpected treat - there were a few minor scuffles, but none of these resulted in anyone being hurt… 
More on the ants and other cool bugs from the Kerio Valley soon!
The Kerio Valley…
Category: Ants | Date: Aug 22 2008 | By: dududiaries
Have been working over the past week in the Kerio Valley. Located in Northwestern Kenya this is one of my favourite places in the world and a stunning extension of the Great Rift Valley. Steep escarpments plunge down from the ancient Cherangani Hills to the hot, dry acacia woodlands and scrub of the valley floor, then the land rises again to meet the Tugen Hills. 
On the valley floor among the majestic Acacia tortilis trees are stands of Acacia seyal - one of the ant-acacias that I am currently studying. These are medium-sized tree up to 15-20 m tall with lovely soft yellow bark that is often tinged with russet as they age. This species and the other African ant-acacias are fascinating plants. They are a wonderful example of mutualism and cooperation between species. The plant engages with a close and intimate relationship with a range of ant species. The basic understanding between the acacia and the ants is: The acacia provides housing and food, the ants provide protection against hungry nibbling mouths. This acacia houses ants in lovely silvery-white swollen thorns that are distributed along the tree’s branches… 
The ants forage up and down the trees, and from the extra-floral nectaries, which are special glands that secrete sugary sustenance for the ants… 
More on the myriad other ants and fabulous creatures on and around the acacias soon!
A colourful freeloader
Category: Ants | Date: Jun 05 2008 | By: dududiaries
I’ve been spending a lot of time looking at the ant-acacias that I study for my PhD. The other day I cam across the most intriguing insect living among the ants on one of the acacias. There are several different ant species involved in a mutualism with the plant. The acacia provides housing and food (through sugary nectar secreted from special glands), and the ants provide patrolling protection against hungry mouths and mandibles that might chance to nibble on the plants.
One particular ant is very aggressive and an extremely good partner for the plant. This is a cocktail ant (Crematogaster mimosae) who provides regular patrolling and rushes to defend the plant when it is disturbed.
However, no arrangement is perfect and every relationship is subject to infiltration in nature. Many different creatures exploit the ant-plant mutualism for their own selfish ends. I found one of these remarkable creatures the other morning. While watching the ants tending scale insects on the young shoots of an acacia I noticed a bright green form moving among them. At first I thought I was seeing things - perhaps the result of spending too much time in the sun?
A closer look revealed that they little green person was indeed an alien intruder in the form of a beetle. This beetle lives among the ants as a total freeloader. It cons them through a mixture of tactile and no doubt chemical communication into thinking that it is one of them. It even taps them on the head in the right way and the hapless ants regurgitate food for it!
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