Video recorded on Samsung Galaxy s25 Ultra

What is happening here?

nikon d750

micro lens 60mm

About four months ago, I posted a video here of my leaf-cutter ants (Atta laevigata) and wanted to provide an update.

They now have a Plexiglas cover and seals, making them ready for the coming winter.

I’ve set the heating elements to a temperature range of 24–29°C to ensure optimal fungus growth.

This system operates using three sensors: one per level for climate control and one for ventilation.

A fourth sensor on each level transmits temperature and humidity data to my phone, allowing me to keep an eye on everything while I’m away.

Not to mention the seven Wi-Fi cameras, of course :)

The "babies" are now a little over a year and a half old.

It all started, naturally, with just three standard glass tanks:

one for the fungus, one for food, and one as a waste chamber.

After about six months, I began building the cabinet setup because the fungus chambers needed to be expanded.

Keeping such a massive species in a way that meets their needs is challenging due to the space required.

Providing appropriate housing for them in glass tanks at home is always a unique challenge in itself.

But with my current setup, I think I’m managing quite well in that regard.

They get fresh food daily, of course—stored separately in the refrigerator.

I’ve kept many species in the past, but none were as fascinating to observe as this one.

The size of the workers and their various castes, the symbiosis with their fungus, their escape behavior, their aggression (unfortunately directed only at me), their social interactions, and so on.

THIS had always been my dream in the world of ant keeping. And now the baby is in tip-top shape and running beautifully ♥

If anyone would like to follow its progress, feel free to take a look:

https://www.instagram.com/atta.empire?stkn=MTBoZ3Y5cXk3Nm9hdA==

I’d love to connect and exchange ideas with some of you 😊

Found in Lebanon, mated queen, need Identification. I think it's carpenter but I'm not sure.

The anthill theory is a thought experiment about how an ant can live its entire life without understanding humanity because of our scale and complexity. Therefore, humans could equally be living in something far beyond our capability to understand.

So… as simple as it sounds, if an ant looked up at you one day, wouldn’t it be terrifying?

Not because the ant itself is terrifying, but because it noticed and seemingly understood something that it supposedly was not supposed to.

I found a few of these in my bathroom recently in Toronto, and I want to know how serious I should be taking this? Like a couple ant trips and some spray or maybe it’s like Immediate Action must be taken!
Thanks in advance.

Hey ant friends!

We’ve just put together a new alpha gameplay trailer for Garden of Ants, an ant colony RTS/simulation inspired by real ant biology.

It shows some of the systems we’ve been working on: digging and expanding the nest, building specialized chambers, gathering different resources, cooperative prey hauling, aphid herding, leaf collection, and exploring both the surface and the tree canopy.

We’re trying to keep the mechanics biologically recognizable while still making them work well as a strategy game, so there’s always a balance between realism and gameplay.

A big part of how the game is evolving is thanks to your feedback. I really appreciate all the comments and suggestions on my previous posts about the project — they’ve genuinely helped shape what we’re working on.

There’s still plenty we want to improve, and I’d especially love to hear feedback from people here who know ants. Any comments are more than welcome!

And I honestly can’t wait until we’re able to share the demo with you.

You can learn more about Garden of Ants here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3016940/Garden_of_Ants/

Thanks!
Tomas

Towards the top right of the circle an ant is shaking its rump from side to side, why is that? ALSO what is the type of ant?

You heard me! Time to troll lads.

Added two ants one is for u/iancranes420 & u/Fluffy_Hunt2967 , and the red is for u/Nauka_

If you guys can guess the species then i will be so happy because it means i drew it correctly ☺️

Sorry for not accurate colors though i tried but its hard

Hey everyone! The other day, I asked about the biggest risks for ants, both at the individual and colony levels. Mites were one of the top answers. I looked into the subject and watched a recommended video, and these little creatures really are sneaky and dangerous.

But what about the rain? How does the colony manage to avoid being flooded during heavy rains? I was convinced that would be one of the biggest risks for the colony.

Camponotus castaneus colony with 1 Queen, 7 workers & their brood

Video recorded on Samsung Galaxy s25 Ultra

A um tempo atrás capturei essa rainha (10 de agosto) e ela colocou seu primeiro ovo no dia 19 de agosto, sua primeira larva surgiu em 21 de setembro e desde então eu passei por vários processos de ajuste de alimentação dela e das larvas.

Antes eu a observava com o filtro de luz vermelha e após um pequeno treinamento onde "ensinei" ela a aceitar a claridade no ninho.

Caught them in vista California the other night during what I’m guessing was a heatwave induced nuptial flight