Ant colony in a Can

[cookiemonster]

A few days ago i walked through a forest and found a really large can. I collect cans i find, because there are often dead beetles and bugs, so i can see what species live there. This can i put into our car and yesterday when i took the can out of the car i saw that there are lots of ants with brood inside. I shook all ants out (about 400) and saw a queen between them.
so whole ant colonies can live in a single can...
I just wanted to share this fact with you.

[ooper01]

Haha, ants in a can! Awesome find

[MadVampy]

I've heard of "Monkey's in a Barrel" but never Ants in a can!

[MadVampy]

Wait I've heard of "Ants in your Pants" is that kinda like Ants in a can? Lmco

[cookiemonster]

Yes i do but i cant upload them now... you have to wait untill next monday (24th)

[NashAUS]

I know it's only just gone the 24th but... bump!

Really wanna check this out!

[cookiemonster]

the can is about 20cm Long and has got a Diameter of nearly 10cm

Can.jpg

this stuff was also inside the can and consists of dirt, needles, parts of insects and some seeds

can3.jpg

and this are the ants
I used an idetification key and found out that they are Formica picea, -gagatoides, -gagates, -fusca or -lemani
I only got so far because my binocular isn't that good that i was able to Count the hair on the Abdomen

can4.jpg

[cookiemonster]

In the last few days i recognized a pretty awesome behaviour:
One ant finds something like Food then she goes back to the other ants, bites one into the neck and carries her to the food. one time an ant wanted to move the queen that way and it looked pretty funny
a pretty similar behaviour is that some ants bite in the last legs of an ant in front of her and follow them

[cookiemonster]

Why do you think so?
they do not have any red on their legs but cinerae do, don't they?

[NashAUS]

that is so damn cool. such resilient beings! thanks for sharing!