Ants At Work

[Abhishek Jamalabad]

Two worker ants communicating during a foraging expedition. Yet to identify the species. It is very interesting to watch the complex behaviour of ants at work, especially through the 100mm macro lens. Am thoroughly enjoying it. :)
It is needless to mention the importance of these little creatures in the ecosystem. Recent studies have shown that ant populations can be used to directly monitor the health of ecosystems and agricultural land.

Canon 500D + Canon 100mm macro USM lens
Shooting Mode: Aperture-Priority AE
Tv : 1/200
Av : 8.0
Exposure Compensation : -1 1/3
ISO : 1600
Flash On (built in)
Flash EC 0

Small crop for a more off-centred composition. No other changes made.

Thanks, C&C awaited.

[Mrudul Godbole]

I had observed this typical behaviour, but had never seen black ants from so close :). The textures on the rock look nice. Good details. Thanks for sharing the information. Look forward to see more in macros.

[Abhishek Jamalabad]

It appears to be Camponotus sp. Not very sure, any help will be appreciated. One of the commonest ant species in India.

Thanks Mrudul. Even I saw them so closely for the first time. :)
P.S. It was clicked on a tree bark, not on a rock.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

I was struggling with these fellows invading my hide. Never thought of looking at details on their body. :D

I agree that how ever small (in size) a species might be, it is important to maintain a balance in the complex web of interreationships among various species.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi