The Daily Photo first-of-the-month Theme Day for April is "yellow." I wanted to choses a photo that is expressive of Costa Rica, so I selected this "Ant Crossing" sign from the butterfly farm at Monteverde.You can see ants crossing along the branch, including one ant carrying a leaf. Better photos of leaf cutter ants and their dirt mound are below.
Leaf cutter ants do not eat the leaves that they carry back to their nest. They feed the leaves to a fungus that they cultivate underground and the ants eat the fungus. I have a mental image of an underground blob that looks like Jobba the Hut being fed leaves, with ants gnawing around its edges.
Leaf cutter ants know what types of leaves the fungus likes, and what types of leaves are poisonous to the fungus. Sometimes in the forest there are so many leaf cutter ants carrying leaves that it looks like the ground is moving.+0120+P1000165.jpg)
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15 comments:
The Ant Crossing photo is excellent. And a super choice for theme day.
Wonderful choice. They are so brave!!!!
A very different road sign!
Sydney Daily Photo
LOL, a very cute road sign indeed!
I was trying to determine the Spanish translation of "ant" when I first saw this on the portal. Funny. It's a fascinating story. If all humans worked like ants, I wonder what our world would be like?!
I love this little road sign. How clever to mark the place the ants are crossing.
Well, this has to win the most original post of the day. How fantastic. Love it!
That is a clever and fun post for theme day!
Oh, yes, a lovely roadsign in highway yellow!
Wonderful! Great!
This is absolutely cute! LOL
I remember seeing one of these on the way to the Aerial Tram. There was a steady line of ants crossing the path carrying pieces of leaves many times their own size!
great shots and informative
Hi Dave, you can count 1-10. What about 'hajimemashite'? Hajimemashite, Dave San, youroushiku onegaisimasu...
Well chosen pic for Yellow Theme Day.
I havent finished exploring your photos :). Best, Henny.
Fantastic choice for the theme day! Watching those ants is so cool! And the sign is something, I've never seen it before.
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