Post B6L91l5ydC6vlFkblg by wyatt_h_knott@mstdn.social
(DIR) More posts by wyatt_h_knott@mstdn.social
(DIR) Post #B6L5Ssnjgomhf7tg8G by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-16T01:35:46Z
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Exciting action from “ants five points” today I offered the chestnut carpenter ants hunk of chicken, which they were very excited about this ant attempted acrobatics while carrying the heavy load: she climbed down a vertical surface and attempted to climb under a ledge to the location of their nest, but lost her balance nearly falling into a nest of pavement ants! (I may have helped her get clear) she scaled the wall again still carrying her prize and disappeared into her nest.
(DIR) Post #B6L5k8tP7D5sUYmJWK by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-16T01:38:53Z
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Listen I know those four photos all look "like ants" but each is a different species and at "Ants Five Point" they all interact with each other and there are many more species I didn't get a good photo of. It's such a delightful spot of ant diversity.
(DIR) Post #B6L6HgQFTPfi2T8Oqu by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-16T01:43:57Z
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@claralistensprechen3rd There are also significant difference in sizes. The chestnut carpenter ant is about four times bigger than the winter ant. (Though I want to check this ID again)Anyway that ant is "officially tiny"
(DIR) Post #B6L6ZsFGFt7Xv2fYKe by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-16T01:48:14Z
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@claralistensprechen3rd I think that's an argentine ant, sadly. Although, invasive in a big city aren't such a big deal. And places with lots of species like this one show how diversity is a buffer to invasive species being harmful.
(DIR) Post #B6L6gKjDGikhzll7YG by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-16T01:49:24Z
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Spotting different species of ants in one small place is exciting because for each new one you see you know there is another colony nearby!How do they all live so packed close together like this?
(DIR) Post #B6L77IbvFYOTFLCuJs by funkula@goblin.camp
2026-05-16T01:54:14Z
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@futurebird you know they're asking themselves the same question about the humans
(DIR) Post #B6L7Tk3fsg6IkDtDCC by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-16T01:58:17Z
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@funkula Ok maybe.
(DIR) Post #B6L7zVh6oyadSiU0Wm by babelcarp@social.tchncs.de
2026-05-16T02:04:01Z
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@futurebird It’s NYC, after all.
(DIR) Post #B6L8jO5ZQk0nC9nhVA by wyatt_h_knott@mstdn.social
2026-05-16T02:12:18Z
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@futurebird Weird, that's the exact same thing I say about New Yorkers.
(DIR) Post #B6L8rGhiloUQbnP3ia by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-16T02:13:47Z
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@wyatt_h_knott These are also New Yorkers, just very small ones.
(DIR) Post #B6L91l5ydC6vlFkblg by wyatt_h_knott@mstdn.social
2026-05-16T02:15:39Z
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@futurebird Exactly.
(DIR) Post #B6LAoEi3vf8DSjFEVk by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-16T02:35:39Z
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If I can find all of these ants in a city think of what you can find in your yard! You can probably find dozens of ant species.
(DIR) Post #B6LB76JNNSZuuyh2TA by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-16T02:39:02Z
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@LexYeen Are there any areas where they don't mow too often? The key to #antsFivePoints is it's a retaining wall of a steep hill that can't be mowed. So there is a bit of undisturbed ground with old trees and rocks. This level of diversity probably took decades to accumulate.
(DIR) Post #B6LCefcjCzabwmJejI by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-16T02:56:20Z
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Since I spotted both of these species maybe I can see the way that winter ants defend themselves from argentine ants. For all their reputation I don't often see Linepithema humile in NYC. In fact, I want to check the ID just to be certain. But we have a ton of Prenolepis imparis. They love making deep nests along sidewalks. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3079705/
(DIR) Post #B6LCngbevLslbL7CAi by icastico@c.im
2026-05-16T02:57:53Z
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@futurebird Moving from NM to Seattle, the thing that strikes me the most is I never see ants. I know they’re around somewhere- but I never see them. And our yard is basically forest.
(DIR) Post #B6LCtx2gjE2uJWkGAa by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-16T02:59:05Z
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@icastico Try staring at the base of old trees on warm days. Or look at areas with flat rocks?They are around!
(DIR) Post #B6LD7pUPbfDewYKXmS by leadegroot@bne.social
2026-05-16T03:01:29Z
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@futurebird 100% I can, but when I see them I step away smartly! #australia #owowowow! ;)
(DIR) Post #B6LDSdNxnuYZU7EbpI by icastico@c.im
2026-05-16T03:05:20Z
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@futurebird I am sure they are. In Albuquerque they live loud and proud out in the open. Here they seem to have plenty of places to hide. I suspect there are plenty 80 feet above my head in the Douglas fir.
(DIR) Post #B6LDWBjsXEo4tnBDWq by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-05-16T03:06:00Z
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@icastico I'm deeply invested in helping you find more ants!
(DIR) Post #B6LEJgtvSpODjgU4m0 by icastico@c.im
2026-05-16T03:14:54Z
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@futurebird I did just find a paper on competition between spiders and ants in Douglas Fir canopy. We certainly have no shortage of spiders. I guess I need a really tall ladder
(DIR) Post #B6LHXHkw36CrfOS8LA by dlakelan@mastodon.sdf.org
2026-05-16T03:50:16Z
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@futurebird My experience in SoCal around the Pasadena area is that we have TONS of argentine ants... every so often a really tiny ant that I think is called Honey Ant (Prenolepis imparis) just based on web searching tiny ants in socal.Outside of my home area there are the more native Pogonomyrmex californicus (CA harvester ant).But the Argentine dominate everything. I've heard some people think of them as one giant global colony?
(DIR) Post #B6LamxZUlDJWpOI0OW by patsytheshark@mastodon.ie
2026-05-16T07:26:40Z
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@futurebird The carrying of the fallen comrade is too sad...and now I'm getting emotional about ant funerary rites
(DIR) Post #B6MgwlRdUoqIzpdDrU by Landa@graz.social
2026-05-16T20:10:24Z
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@futurebird seems like New York is self-similar over many scales :) @wyatt_h_knott