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Weaver Ant from Thailand: Queen (or Male ?)
Here’s a queen from the colony (or a male, not sure). Note how it has a green body (like weaver ants in Australia) unlike the workers. Regards
Sean
Hi again Sean,
Thank you for your wonderful additions to our site.
Oecophylla (Weaver Ant)
Hello Bugman
I thought your viewers may enjoy this picture of what I guess is an Oecophylla (Weaver Ant) having a chew on my finger. These little bundles of joy are probably the dominant predators in our garden give or take the odd snake. We live in Thailand. Regards
Sean
Hi Sean,
Thank you for sending us your photo of a Weaver Ant. We did some research, and would love it if you could provide us with an image of the nest they weave from living leaves.
Update: (01/04/2007)
Here’s a picture of one of the small satellite nests. The main soccer ball size nests (and there are many) are high up in a Jack Fruit tree and I can’t get a clear picture unfortunately. The tree is visible on Google Earth so I’ve attached a .kmz file so you can see where these ants are in Thailand. I don’t think that Wikipedia article is quite right with respect to ‘…and are known for their painful, irritating sting’. Thankfully they’re stingless. I guess they don’t need a sting with those jaws. They seem to do very well without one. Regards
Sean
Hi again Sean,
Thanks so much for the additonal photo and information.
Peppermint Oil for Ants
Hi! I absolutely love your site and cruise it just for fun. I was thrilled to death to find a suggestion about using peppermint oil to deter ants. It works great! They won’t cross the lines that I painted and just the fumes alone have driven the rest away. And it’s cheap! A bottle from the health food store was only $4.99 and a little goes a very long way. But make sure you wash your hands before you touch your face or anywhere else more delicate. And now I don’t have to rescue all the ants out of the sink before I can use it- which was getting very frustrating and time-consuming. (I know, my husband thinks I’m crazy too … but I’m slowly converting him – he now takes all bugs outside except for black widows which he still squishes – but I’m working on that.) Thanks so much for all your hard work!
Laurie McBride
Ant or Wasp?
Hi WTB,
I found this wasp or maybe ant in my driveway this morning when I went to take the trash out. I also saw a second one trying to right itself out of a small puddle on our walkway. I’m in central Mexico, in San Miguel de Allende, and we’ve had a bit of rain the last few days, including last night. This creature is about 1 1/2″ – 2″ in length with fuzzy thorax, and the rear section is very bulbous with shiny dark brown stripped sections. The overall color is kind of a reddish brown. The antennae are straight so it doesn’t quite look like a tarantula hawk. And while it looks like a wasp there doesn’t seem to be a stinger. So I’m uncertain as to whether this is a wasp or an ant. It also was originally upside down and I picked it up by the wing to put it right. Doesn’t appear to be aggressive. There are pinchers on the mouthparts. A look on your wasp pages and ant pages left me clueless as did a search on bug guide since I wasn’t too sure exactly what specifically to look for. Hoping you can shed some light on this.
Thanks in advance,
Stefanie
Hi Stephanie,
We saw these same enormous Flying Ants many years ago in Chiatla, Puebla, Mexico. There was an incredible swarm after a rain. We don’t know the species but we will do some research.
Mexican flying Ant
Hello Daniel and Lisa Anne,
I am in love with your site, and visit it daily. The flying ant is from the genus Atta, the leaf-cutting ants. In fact she is an alate, a winged Queen. These insects are known as “Hormigas Culonas” (’big-bottom ants,’ in reference to their quite substantial abdomens) in Colombia, where they are so esteemed as a delicacy that they appear to be in danger of overharvesting. I’ve eaten them — though, alas, not fresh from the source — and can report a taste like bacon and pistachio nut combined. Edible insects are my passion, and I’ve been thinking about sending you a couple of images. If you’d be willing to include a link to my site, that would be fantastic.
All the best,
Dave Gracer
www.slshrimp.com
Update: (07/25/2006) Edible Mexican Queen: Leaf Cutting Ant
Hi, great site! Regarding the Edible Mexican Queen, having lived in Chiapas I can tell you that the local name for this is “nuc
Some neat bugs!
Hi Bugman!
Near Lake Erie, while birding, I spotted this ant. It seemed ‘different’ to me and I’m cluelss as to his unwilling meal. I found it and others like it climbing a tree of which half was rotten. (The rotten half had a delightful colony of baby garter snakes looking up into the bright sun above). Thanks for your help.
Cathy Wilson
Hi Cathy,
These big black ants are Carpenter Ants.
Ant? Termite? Freak of nature?
Can you tell me exactly what these are? They range from 3/8 inch to almost 1 inch.
Thank you,
Andre’
Hi Andr
Ant colony surviving Hurricane Wilma
Just thought you might be interested in seeing how a colony of ants survived Hurricane Wilma in Sebring, Florida. I think they are fire ants, but not positive.
Mike D.
Sebring, Florida
Hi Mike,
Ants sure have a strong survival instinct. During the 1983 El Ni
unknown ant
this ant was found in southeastern georgia, sandhill habitat. it was found alone the long jaws caught my eye. any idea what species it may be?
sarah and anthony, GA
Hi Sarah and Anthony,
Your photo matches a photo of a worker Trapjaw Ant in the genus Odontomachus that we located on BugGuide.
Dear Mr Bugman,
Thanks for helping me identify a few Bugs. I am quite impressed with your collection of photographs. You have helped me acquire quite a bit of knowledge, Thank you! Hopefully you may be able to use these Ant Photo’s I’ve included. Maybe they will help someone else along the way. These ants were almost a half inch long, in southwestern Colorado, close to Ridgway. Elevation about 8200 ft. Late August. Carpenter Ants? I’m also glad that I’m not alone in the bug lovin’ world. Afterall they don’t eat much. Some think I’m nuts, as I’ve reared a few spiders . Orb Weavers and Widows. Rather fascinating and contrasting web construction. Both very strong silk. I would love to help you add to your collection of photos. If your so inclined. Thanks again!
All the Best with Kindest regards,
Brad Stolte
Spring Valley, Ca
Hi Brad,
Thanks for the nice letter. We are proud of our photo collection, but have to give all the credit to our readership. Now, regarding your ant identification. First the discaimer: We find it very difficult to possitively identify ants. That said, we believe we found a match by turning to BugGuide. This could be the genus Camponotus. We will post and drop Eric Eaton a line to get a confirmation.
Bizzare Fly-type things in my room?
Just today I’ve been finding tons of little red fly style things hanging around my desk. What could they be and where could they be coming from? They are very pesky and I’d like to get rid of them. I’ve attached two somewhat clear pictures. Thanks.
You have Flying Ants. There must be a nearby nest and that is where the kings and queens are originating for their nuptial and only flight.
Peppermint discourages ants
Dear What’s That Bug,
I just discovered your website and love it. My husband and I will soon be spending much of our time in Costa Rica, and I anticipate having lots of questions to ask about the insects we will be encountering there. I am writing to let your readers know that we have succeeded in ending our daily morning encounter with ants on our kitchen counter and under the sink – with essential oil of peppermint. A couple of drops on the counter, spread with a damp sponge on their favorite areas (including under the sink) has kept them away.
Best regards,
Karen Lane
Petaluma, CA
Hi Karen,
Thanks for the great tip!!!
My bugs
These tiny little bugs swarmed our kitchen a few days ago. They literally covered the counter top and we have no idea where they came from. One minute there was nothing, and then like 10 minutes later they were crawling all over the counter and the floor and flying around the light. There were hundreds of them. They sort of look like fruit flies but they seem bigger and I’ve never seen that many fruit flies together before. Maybe they all just hatched at the same time or something. Let me know what you think.
Thanks
Ayron
Hi Ayron,
You have flying ants. These are the reproductive queens and kings. They swarm and mate in the air, then form new colonies. You must have an ant nest that has an egress into your kitchen.
