Question for a myrmecologist(s)

[dkCambridgeshire]

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Can anyone please advise:

Which ant species?  What stage are the eggs at? What type of ant i.e. worker, soldier, Queen?  … might hatch from the eggs? 

Ant nest was under a sheet of corrugated iron in a disused limestone quarry near Peterborough UK 

Photo taken using Leica C Type 112 compact (macro mode) … and is a heavy crop.

Thank you for reading and hopefully for answering.  

dunk 

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[sinjun]

Difficult to tell but they look like Lasius niger, the common black garden ant. There are similar species, which you'd really need a microscope to distinguish. They are rushing to protect the pupal cases that the larvae have spun just before pupating - so they contain the pupae, which are the stage before the adult form, and are not eggs. As to what will come out of those cases, workers or royals, I don't know but none of our British species has a soldier caste. 

[stuny]

Very nice.

[dkCambridgeshire]

9 hours ago, sinjun said:

Difficult to tell but they look like Lasius niger, the common black garden ant. There are similar species, which you'd really need a microscope to distinguish. They are rushing to protect the pupal cases that the larvae have spun just before pupating - so they contain the pupae, which are the stage before the adult form, and are not eggs. As to what will come out of those cases, workers or royals, I don't know but none of our British species has a soldier caste. 

That is very interesting … Thank you . Next trip I might try a more sophisticated camera set-up to image closer.   An 'in the field' situation where a relatively lightweight ICL mirrorless camera with exceptional 'high ISO capability' enabling fast shutter speeds at small apertures, is an indispensable tool . I was considering selling or PX-ing my Sony A7SII to acquire a Panasonic S1 … but the S1 would be too heavy for this type of project. The little Leica C compact used for above image is OK but cannot match an ICL camera.  

dunk 

[fotografr]

Sinjun is correct. That is exactly what they are--Black garden ants. When disturbed, they have been known to swarm and devour humans in a matter of minutes.

(Just kidding about the last part.)

Edited June 10, 2019 by fotografr

[sinjun]

For close-ups I use a Kolari mod Sony A7S. My M mount adapter has helicoid focus extension which allows you to reduce minimum focus distance quite a bit depending on lens - a very handy feature. I also have an adapter for my old Canon lenses, including a couple of true macro lenses for more serious work. I find with the high ISO capabilities of the Sony I am less tied to flash than I was with my old Canon and the whole combo is pretty lightweight. 

[dkCambridgeshire]

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^^^ Thank you for the suggestion … I also have some helicoid tubes but have not tried them yet … and agree the A7S / A7SII high ISO capability is very useful. However, the Sony A7S / A7SII now has a competitor i.e. the Panasonic S1 which also has an exceptional high ISO capability … but … the Sony A7S is more portable. 

dunk 

[sinjun]

Yes, portability is an important consideration - the A7S is pretty much half the weight of the Panasonic S1. I actually appreciate the low MP count too, which is more than enough for my needs. Below is a recent picture of a dragonfly, Anax imperator, emerging from nymph, handheld with no flash. This is reduced by a factor of around 10 in MP for uploading  -  I don't find 12MP at all limiting. 

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[albert]

On 6/10/2019 at 2:59 PM, fotografr said:

Sinjun is correct. That is exactly what they are--Black garden ants. When disturbed, they have been known to swarm and devour humans in a matter of minutes.

(Just kidding about the last part.)

And, delicious with chocolate. 🤪

[fotografr]

1 hour ago, albert said:

And, delicious with chocolate. 🤪

Well, true anyway. When I was in Jr High, it was a "thing" to eat chocolate covered ants, fried grasshoppers and bumblebees, all in an effort to gross out all the girls on the school bus.

[albert]

Hahah. Enjoying The Nort Country.