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Rhytidoponera sp. cf. metallica
Victoria, Australia

photograph © Alex Wild 2005

Ants will not often consume dead ants of their own species, but they may readily take ant carcasses of other species.  Here a Rhytidoponera worker has found the carcass of a large Camponotus and is dragging it back to her nest where it will be fed to hungry larvae.

 
Australia, VIC: Yandoit, c. 18 km SW Castlemaine.
37º11.310'S 144º04.765'E, 290m, 22.x.2005
Dry Sclerophyll.

This image is copyrighted by the photographer and cannot be used without permission. To obtain permission to use this image, please email Alex Wild. (alwild (at) myrmecos.net).  Most of the photographs on myrmecos.net are reduced from their original size and compressed for more efficient web transmission.  In some cases, higher quality versions are available.

This image was captured with a Canon EOS D60, using a Canon 65/2.8 MPE 1-5x Macro lens.