Pyramica clypeata

clypeata1

Pyramica clypeata

Urbana, Illinois

photo details: Canon mp-e 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS 50D

ISO 100, f/13, 1/250 sec, flash diffused through tracing paper

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When I was a small boy, my favorite book was "Ants Are Fun." Still have it. Thanks for the beautiful photography.

While I'm here, I'm wondering something you might have the answer to...

We used to have small black ants in our Sacramento home. I'm ashamed to say... we put out ant traps. They disappeared (and I feel horrible about it every day). I miss the long windy lines of little black ants making their living.

Now, much larger black ants have taken over. They fellows, unlike their smaller cousins, don't really follow windy-line-methodology. They're more rogue, wandering around doing something. I don't know what they're doing, because they never seem to be carrying anything. What gives?

They're another reason I miss the small black ones.

Two days ago, I spotted some medium-sized reddish ants.

Thanks for bearing with me. My question is: Did I make room for the larger black ants by wiping out the small ones?