The Monday mystery returns!
Above is a cropped photograph of a Belizean ant.
1. What is the genus? (2 points)
2. What is the species (3 points)
3. Why is the right side of the picture redder than the left side? (5 points).
Points will be awarded to first person to correctly guess each question, and the cumulative points winner across all mysteries for the month of February will win their choice of 1) any 8×10-sized print from my insect photography galleries, or 2) a guest post here on Myrmecos.
Good luck!
A personal blog by Illinois-based biologist and photographer Alex Wild.
I’m going to guess Cephalotes atratus and the right side is redder because the ant is being parasitized by a parasitic nematode that changes the ants abdominal colour to resemble a ripe berry so it is more likely to be eaten by a bird (ultimate host for nematode).
Like so–> http://scientopia.org/blogs/thisscientificlife/2008/01/24/berry-butts-parasitized-black-ants-resemble-red-berries/
Darn, you guessed my antswer first!
Only saw it just now, *****, my guess also but muuuch tooo laaate!
It reminded me of one of your images: Cephalotes varians
Cephalotes!!
Well, I agree with Morgan that it’s likely parisitized, but the red color suggests something in the pallens clade. I didn’t think varians gets as far south as Belize — perhaps pallidoides? The flat, bulky mesosoma makes me think it’s a soldier.
Can I have a specimen? Pretty please? There isn’t much pallens clade material from Belize, and it doesn’t look like porrasi. This is most likely a late-stage callow, accentuating the natural bi-coloration in many members of this clade. Parasitism is possible too, but rare next to the bi-color pattern seen in all callows in some species.
For an ant beginner, what is a ‘callow’?
A callow is an adult recently emerged from the pupal stage. At first, the ant is often all white. Then the colors develop in the cuticle over the next few days and eventually reach the normal adult colors.
Paco got it, I’m sure!
Cephalotes varians, minor worker. Too burgundy to be minutus or the other little neotropical species I usually play with. (Also kinda blocky.)
Ugh. Wish I could edit – “of the other species” (omit Neotropical).
Cephalotes atratus, parisitized by a nematode that turns the gaster to mimic a fruit!!!
It’s the elusive strawberry ant, and the right side is the juicy, sweet and edible part.
Also, bwahahahaha… it’s Cephalotes varians, and the gaster does NOT have nematodes… this is within the normal color variation for this species.
[...] was yesterday’s anty swath of red? Here’s the uncropped [...]