Podomyrma adelaidae

Jan 25th, 2012

by myrmecos.

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photo details:
Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS 7D
ISO 200, f/13, 1/250 sec
diffuse twin flash

Posted in: Ants, Australia.
Tagged: Ants · Podomyrma

7 Comments

1. JasonC. says:

   January 26, 2012 at 2:27 am

   Is it me, or does it look like a big, pretty Tetramorium?

   Reply
2. Alex B says:

   January 26, 2012 at 8:52 am

   Thats one pretty ant, nice shape, colour, sculpturation..

   Good shot aswell, with the ant peering at the photografer.

   Reply
3. Joshua King says:

   January 26, 2012 at 8:55 am

   I’ve always thought of Podomyrma as “body-builder” ants with their burly bodies and bulging femurs (femora?).

   Reply
4. formicidaefantasy says:

   January 26, 2012 at 10:10 am

   Is the gaster really bicolor in the way it looks here? Or is that just some trick of the light?

   Reply
   1. myrmecos says:

      January 26, 2012 at 10:19 am

      The color is real! Podomyrma adelaidae is one of Australia’s prettiest ants. Here’s another photo:
      http://www.alexanderwild.com/Ants/Taxonomic-List-of-Ant-Genera/Podomyrma/9308851_8N6vhw#!i=622273552&k=6eg3G

      Reply
      1. Antsy says:

         January 26, 2012 at 6:10 pm

         I wonder about the function of these light spots, which show up in a number of Mutillids and Myrmosids and are echoed in diverse taxa (the transparent fenestrae of the stratiomyid Hermetia illucens are called to mind). In these ants specifically – aposematism? Disruptive pattern? Visual communication between nestmates? Could there be internal gastral anatomy that needs differential heating?

         Reply
         1. Anonymous says:

            January 27, 2012 at 10:19 am

            Spots like these also occur in Dolichoderus quadripunctatus and some Camponouts spp., even some fire ants.

            Jason poses a good question. Are these related to Tetramorium?