Face to Face with an Ant Seeing Red

“We are closer to the ants than to the butterflies. Very few people can endure much leisure.” Gerald Brenan

Photo:
Image Credit: Charles Kazilek, Ph.D., Arizona State University Research Magazine, Courtesy: National Science Foundation

This incredible microscopic image makes you glad you're five or six feet tall, not five or six inches. If we were that small, of course we wouldn't stand much of a chance against these formidable insects, which may form up to a quarter of the mass of living creatures in any given ecosystem. But even though it would be better not to get bitten by an even vaguely oversized ant's mandibles – and certainly not one that was seeing red – it's strange how like ants we behave.

Added to the fact that ant societies have a division of labour, individuals ants communicate with one another, and ants can solve complex problems. Ant colonies are also called superorganisms because the ants act like a unified entity, collectively working together much like humans do. If you need more convincing about how ant-like we are, just climb to the top of a tall building and watch the way people scuttle around far below.

More amazing photography like this can be seen at the National Science Foundation's website.

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