Post B5w4Uzx5nK3UbMKJAe by wyatt_h_knott@mstdn.social
(DIR) More posts by wyatt_h_knott@mstdn.social
(DIR) Post #B5uC8j824et1N2Pn04 by phryk@mastodon.social
2026-04-28T16:23:40Z
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@futurebird Do you have any tips for photographing ants? Recently got myself a DSLR and would like to try my luck with some macro shots.Also, you recently talked about some species that came to the US from Europe but isn't reported as being active in urban environments in Europe – how would I go about identifying that species?
(DIR) Post #B5uC8kamdFTjuUsGS8 by phryk@mastodon.social
2026-05-03T02:02:40Z
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@futurebird Can't find that post of yours anymore, but is this the species you said was only reported outside of urban environments in Europe? I only vaguely remember you saying they were red-ish?^^
(DIR) Post #B5uC8m9CqkbkjXzGkK by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-03T02:13:18Z
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@phryk The colors are correct for Lasius emarginatus. But the mesoma looks a bit like Camponotus. But, I'm not 100 certain. How big was this ant? Do you have more photos?Where are you? Lasius emarginatus is small like many other Lasius ants. There are many ants that look similar. https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/341143-Lasius-emarginatus/browse_photos
(DIR) Post #B5uCSUK6pTQ7FEUEOe by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-03T02:16:52Z
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@phryk The more I look at the mesoma the less I think it's Lasius emarginatus.
(DIR) Post #B5uDEa2qrLT4tFLYVE by phryk@mastodon.social
2026-05-03T02:25:35Z
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@futurebird I'm in Vienna. This was in the same park the Donauturm is located in, close to the local UN headquarters.Haven't actively looked for ants in ages, but they looked distinctly bigger than the black and red ant species I've seen in Germany (Northrhine-Westphalia) in the past (tho very much still smaller than the alates I've seen back in the day).I have one other shot that's in focus, but the ant is smaller in that, so not sure how helpful it is.
(DIR) Post #B5uDjgSN4TStki79xA by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-03T02:31:14Z
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@phryk Well if it is them then at least they are where they belong in Vienna. :)But statically speaking it'd be a wood ant (one of the Formica)
(DIR) Post #B5uDkVUxIcps3UiRYu by phryk@mastodon.social
2026-05-03T02:31:19Z
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@futurebird This is the other shot that's halfway usable.I'll probably upgrade to a newer camera and get some new glass this month plus I'm still figuring out technique, so future shots will hopefully be better. :)
(DIR) Post #B5uF1K4h7obDVF0ycC by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-03T02:45:36Z
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@phryk This is a great shot since you can see more of the mesoma. It could be the bicolored ant, but I can't say for certain.Here is how you can tell the difference: Formica may have 3 dots on the head in a triangle called ocelli Lasius emarginatus workers will NOT have this. Formica also tend to be larger but there is an overlap in size. Beyond that we need to measure and count details to sort these girls out.
(DIR) Post #B5uFNQEetsbEysDHLk by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-03T02:49:32Z
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@phryk This is what I mean by ocelli. They are simple eyes on the top of the heads of some bees, ants and wasps.
(DIR) Post #B5uFUMO5bZdr4dvskS by catsalad@infosec.exchange
2026-05-03T02:50:50Z
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@futurebird @phryk Does this mean they can't wear hats? 🎩
(DIR) Post #B5uFZNJvZ26TPnNRwG by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-03T02:51:44Z
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@catsalad @phryk If they do they can't sense polarized light anymore or big shadows of predators ... but at a formal event that should be OK.
(DIR) Post #B5uHrJMhCz7kGiLv04 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-03T03:17:23Z
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@phryk It made me feel a lot better when I found a note saying how easy this Lasius ant is to confuse with Formica. Normally these photos would be good enough, but you live in the land of red and black ants.
(DIR) Post #B5uWgNspZGXIPPdBAm by phryk@mastodon.social
2026-05-03T06:03:31Z
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@futurebird Anarchocommunists everywhere. :PThanks for the info concerning the ocelli – I'll try getting a shot of the head with the weird cheap macro screw-on thing I have next time. :)
(DIR) Post #B5w4Uzx5nK3UbMKJAe by wyatt_h_knott@mstdn.social
2026-05-03T23:57:08Z
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@futurebird that's interesting because as I was looking at them I thought there was something going on with the back of the head where it connects to the body but I couldn't nail down what I was seeing, I thought it was the shape of the back of the head but then it wasn't consistent enough to call a feature@phryk