Caecilian (Oscaecilia ochrocephala) AntGirl 2019-02-27 | Walking along the road in Gamboa, we saw a really cool subterranean amphibian slithering out of the grass. It checked out the edge of the pavement, then went back into the leaf litter. A strike off the bucket list to be sure!
When army ants collide: self assembled defensive walling AntGirl 2022-05-29 | These two species are Eciton hamatum and the smaller one is Neivamyrmex adnepos. For more information about how acoidance walling works among tropical army ants, check out our recent paper about it: doi.org/10.25849/myrmecol.news_030:251filmed on 28 May 2022 at 17:50 at La Selva Biological Station
Battle of the carpenter bees! AntGirl 2020-11-12 | ~~Another video from my porch carpenter bee aggregation~~ Watch as two small Xylocopa californica attempt to protect their aggregated nests from being usurped by larger X. sonorina (formerly known as X. varipuncta). I recorded this earlier in the quarantine (back when there was higher spring/summer bee activity).Wanna know why these bees were tagged and learn about some cool science being done with them? Check out Madeleine Ostwald's research website: madeleineostwald.weebly.com
Spotting a yellowjacket nest while camping AntGirl 2020-09-11 | Camping on the southern edge of the Colorado plateau last weekend we saw a lot of beautiful wildlife, including a whole nest of yellowjackets (Vespula sp.)! We also saw a couple of male elk (Cervus canadensis) and some really cute baby horned lizards (Phrynosoma sp.).
Army ant avoidance walling AntGirl 2020-07-29 | A talk by Kaitlin Baudier presented at ABS 2020, the annual meeting of the Animal Behavior Society (held remotely using pre-recorded talks this year due to COVID-19). #ABS2020 #IUSSINASCheck out the paper we published about it here: doi.org/10.25849/myrmecol.news_030:251
In search of a fig wasp AntGirl 2020-05-22 | Hunting down some minuscule fig wasps in the figs of my courtyard Ficus sp.
Ant battle in the wild! Dorymyrmex bicolor vs. Pogonomyrmex californicus AntGirl 2020-05-02 | Observed naturally occurring in one of my field sites along the Salt River, Tonto National Forest, AZ in September 2019. The larger P. californicus seem to have been emigrating (moving house), but ran across the nest entrance of a colony of D. bicolor (the bi-colored, smaller species). BIG mistake!
Pogonomyrmex rugosus nest entrance AntGirl 2020-05-01 | Just checking out these industrious little gals at work at mid day, September 2019. Filmed near the Salt River in Tonto National Forest.
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) - Quarantine Backyard Birding #3 AntGirl 2020-04-26 | Okay, so technically I saw this one in the front yard. -but according to Sibly's Guide there are at least 6 visually differential populations of Dark-eyed Juncos in North America, each with different plumage. This is characteristic plumage of the "Oregon" population that is common throughout the Western part of the United States. It was exciting to see when I first moved to Arizona, since I grew up (and first took a college ornithology course) in the Southeast, where this species has less colorful, "slate-colored" plumage.Filmed December 2019 in Tempe, AZ
Quarantine Desert Hike #1 - Ants, and termites, and wasps, oh my! AntGirl 2020-04-25 | Are you stuck inside, working from home? Take a break for a minute and come along for a hike through the sonoran desert with me! As you know, I like insects, so given that it's spring and I live in a bee biodiversity hot-spot, I thought I'd get out and see what bees I could find. I ended up stumbling across so much more than that! Below is my list of ID's for easy access:Eusocial insects:1:52 - Fire Ants (Solenopsis sp.)2:10 - Rough Harvester Ant (Pogonomyrmex rugosus)2:22 - Dorymyrmex bicolor3:14 - super heat-tolerant desert ant (Forelius pruinosus)4:32 & 14:46- California Harvester Ants (Pogonomyrmex californicus)11:31 - Wood ant (Formica sp.)16:48 - European honey bee (Apis mellifera), most likely Africanized18:30 - Paper wasp (Polistes sp., might be P. flavus or P. aurifer)21:09 - Termites (identification pending)Other insects:10:20 - Flesh Fly (Family Sarcophagidae)10:24 - Ladybug / ladybird beetle (Family Coccinellidae)17:23 & 18:49 - Hover flies (Family Syrphidae)24:27 - Cactus bee (Diadasia sp.) - this was one I was hoping to spot aggregatingArachnids:24:57 - Flower Crab Spider (Misumena sp.) using sit-and-wait predation to catch itself a pollinator meal! XDBirds7:00 & 20:58- Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus obscurus)8:29 & 19:33 - Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis)9:34 & 13:14 - Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)12:55 - Albert's Towhee??? (Pipilo aberti)????14:00 & 15:17 & 25:07 - Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens)16:01 - Mourning dove (sound only) (Zenaida macroura)Mammals0:00 - Felis catus ;)8:49 - Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) tracks
Megachilid bees in my fence post! AntGirl 2020-04-22 | Check out these awesome Megachilids as they pack pollen into this dead tree stump embedded in my backyard fence! I initially thought these were leaf-cutting bees (genus Megachile), but they capped off their nests with mud, so actually I was wrong! Seems like these are some other kind of Megachilid. These bees are awesome native pollinators though. I've seen them all over the sonoran desert flowers in my yard.Some info from Wikipedia:Megachilidae is a cosmopolitan family of mostly solitary bees whose pollen-carrying structure (called a scopa) is restricted to the ventral surface of the abdomen (rather than mostly or exclusively on the hind legs as in other bee families). Megachilid genera are most commonly known as mason bees and leafcutter bees, reflecting the materials from which they build their nest cells (soil or leaves, respectively).
Wild horse encounter along the Salt River AntGirl 2020-04-10 | filmed September 11, 2019 along the salt river in Tonto National Forest
Curve-billed Thrasher (Toxostoma curvirostre) - Quarantine Backyard Birding #2 AntGirl 2020-04-05 | I think this backyard birding will be something I'll try to keep up during quarantine. I've got a fair amount of diversity here to report on. I may even do some quarantine backyard anting! Stay tuned!Filmed April 2020 in Tempe, AZ
Hummingbird in my courtyard - Quarantine Backyard Birding #1 AntGirl 2020-04-03 | I'm fairly certain this is a female Calypte sp. It's probably Calypte anna (Anna's Hummingbird). We got a really close look at a male C. anna that we unfortunately found as a window kill a few blocks away at my workplace, and I'm fairly certain I've seen other males at this feeder since. Filmed in late March 2020.It's nice to have a hammock to sit in during quarantine. Stay home! Stay healthy!
Ants living in a pine gall AntGirl 2020-02-24 | Yesterday I found a colony of what I think are Monomorium minimum living in a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) gall, most likely, I suspect, as secondary inhabitants. I don't have my scope with me, and these things are just minuscule, so I will need to take a closer look later. But it's really striking how many of these galls have ants in them around here, and different species no less! I'll post more videos of some other species soon.
Not-so-collective transport AntGirl 2020-02-04 | Watch my lab-housed Odontomachus haemotodus colony fragment feeding on live crickets and dragging some meal-worm pieces into their nest. Fastest jaws in the land!
Various Neotropical stingless bees on some blossoms AntGirl 2019-11-27 | Gamboa, Panama 26 January 2018
Hidden bivouac of Eciton burchellii parvispinum AntGirl 2019-11-12 | Although Eciton burchellii is famous for bivouacking above ground (one of only 2 species that is known to routinely do this), I found that this is often not the case for the subspecies Eciton burchellii parvispinum. This subspecies ranges from the Pacific slope of the continental divide in Costa Rica northward into Mexico. By contrast, Eciton burchellii parvispinum quite frequently make their temporary nests, aka "bivouacs" in underground cavities (~50% or the time in cloud forest, ~75% of the time in arid lowlands of Guanacaste). So what does underground bivouacking look like? Well, like this! As you can see from this video it can be rather inconspicuous, sometimes only a single line of ants entering and leaving. But if the food gets carried in and not out, it's probably an underground bivouac! If you want to learn more about how bivouac site choice helps army ants in subspecies Eciton burchellii parvispinum thermoregulate, check out my publication on this topic that came out last year: doi.org/10.1111/ecog.04064This was filmed in Moteverde, Costa Rica, in March of 2015.
From stinging caterpillar to poopy pupa AntGirl 2019-10-23 | I for the life of me can't find an ID for this larva (or pupae for that matter). Anyone with a guess please post below. To my eye it seems to be in family Limacodidae, but I could be wrong.Filmed in Gamboa, Panama February 2019
Centris pallida (solitary bee) aggregation AntGirl 2019-10-16 | I'm in North America for this one! Here you can see an aggregation of nests of the solitary bee Centris pallida, the female of which I show in a vial at the end (don't worry, we let her go, I just wanted you to be able to get an up-close look). That's right! I said solitary, so no queens or colonies here. However, they do like to nest nearby in these large "aggregations." If you'd like to learn more about some cool research being done on the climate and mating dynamics of this species, check out the dissertation work of Meghan Barrett. Her website is here: http://meghan-barrett.com/blog/2019/08/08/exel-research-profile-and-melipona-exhibitThis was filmed along the Salt River in Tonto National Forest in the spring of 2019 (if memory serves, I think it was April).
Two great tinamou (Tinamus major) AntGirl 2019-10-08 | This large ground-nesting bird has really beautiful and huge eggs that they like to lay in nests wedged into the buttresses of trees. It's like an Easter egg hunt when I happen upon them. This species is very common throughout Central America, but only persists in fairly undisturbed forests.Filmed on Barro Colorado Island, Panama in February of 2018.
Vine Snake (Oxybelis aeneus) AntGirl 2019-10-01 | Filmed on Barro Colorado Island, Panama on 2018 January 29
Double entrance angel bee nest (Tetragonisca angustula) AntGirl 2019-09-25 | Sometimes called "angel bees," "angelitas," "abejitas," or "jatai" depending on where you are from, the stingless bee Tetragonisca angustula makes nests out of wax and resin deep inside of cavities (often trees). They have long and narrow wax and resin nest entrance tubes that are designed to keep out intruders. Here you can see the two kinds of guards that protect these entrance tubes during the day when they are open to traffic: standing guards and hovering guards.Gamboa, Panama 22 January 2018
Ant-mimicking Mantis AntGirl 2019-09-14 | Ant-mimicry (aka "myrmecomorphy") is useful for the faker, because a lot of potential predators don't want to mess with numerous, often stinging, ants. In this case, a fabulous tiny mantis appears to be mimicking several very painful stinging local ant species collectively known as twig ants (genus Pseudomyrmex).check out images of these ants here, and comment below as to whether you think this mantis did a good job!alexanderwild.com/Ants/Taxonomic-List-of-Ant-Genera/Pseudomyrmex
Harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex californicus) carry off a frog carcass AntGirl 2019-09-11 | Poor frog, but happy ants. This is the first time I saw this species eating vertebrate carrion in the wild. Normally they feed on dead insects and (mostly) seeds. Filmed in Southern California in the spring of 2019.
Carpenter bee (Xylocopa varipuncta) aggregation in my porch AntGirl 2019-09-02 | Filmed April 20, 2019
Mud nests of Partamona peckolti in abandoned light house AntGirl 2019-04-11 | Partamona peckolti are stingless bees that construct their nests out of mud, often clustering multiple colonies in a single area. Inside these muddy exteriors, nests consist of wax and resin combs containing brood (similar to honey bees) and also oval-shaped food storage pots clustered around the edge (similar to bumble bees). Although they do not sting, these bees bite ferociously to defend their nests. The reason I had to put music over this video was actually because of the many expletives of my colleague who was being bitten at the time.
Bivouac of the army ant Eciton burchell foreli on Barro Colorado Island AntGirl 2019-03-19 | Army ants are nomadic, so they build temporary nests known as bivouacs made out of their own bodies to shelter the queen and brood. This is one such bivouac.
Chestnut-mandibled toucan duet (Ramphastos ambiguus swainsonii) AntGirl 2019-03-08 | Also known as the yellow-throated toucanThese two chestnut mandibled toucans sing a duet.
Stingless bees and flesh flies on poop AntGirl 2019-03-05 | Isn't it beautiful? The species of shingles be is orange gasters in this video is Trigona fulviventris
Panama flycatcher (Tyrannus sabanera) AntGirl 2019-03-01 | This striking species looks much like the North American con-gener, but has a range from southern Mexico to throughout tropical lowlands of South America. This was my first sighting of one, so I thought I'd share it with you.
Stingless bees, ponerine ants, and geckos! Oh my! AntGirl 2019-02-19 | We've been making daily and nightly observations of this stingless bee (Tetragonisca angustula) colony, and began to notice that a gecko was always near the nest entrance tube at night. At first we assumed it lived in the tree, but last night the reason for its constant presence at the nest entrance became clear. Bees produce a lot of dump material, which dump workers take out of the nest and usually drop nearby. Well, at this particular nest, the dump material seems to have been collecting for some time in the bottom of the hole that the bees' nest entrance tube passes through. I noticed that at night (though not visible during the day) ponerine ants forage on this bee dump. Well just before filming this video, I saw this gecko snag one of these ants for a tasty late-night snack!
Masked hunters (Reduvius personatus) AntGirl 2019-02-13 | Masked hunters (Reduvius personatus) are a species of assassin bug (Family Reduviidae), that feeds on small insect prey. This species is not native to the Americas, but was likely introduced from Europe between 150 to 250 years ago. Their documented distribution seems to be restricted to North America, but based on my observations of them here in Panama over the past year, I think this is a gross under-asseesment of their introduced range. Why are they so cryptic? Well, the nymphs (juveniles) of this species are very sticky, which helps them camouflage themselves with dust and debris. These nymphs appear to have chosen millipede frass (poop) to adorn their backs and legs! Though they look fancy now, they will become shiny and smooth once they reach adulthood.Can it hurt you? They only feed on insects, not humans. However, they do have a painful bite which they can use in defense if they feel threatened. Still, they do not carry any diseases, and their venom is not severe enough to typically require medical attention
Harvester Ant Emigration (Pogonomyrmex californicus) AntGirl 2018-12-26 | Harvester ants like to move house sometimes too!
Nomamyrmex esenbeckii raid column AntGirl 2018-12-19 | Observed in Soberania National Park, Panama, January 2018Note how the coloration of this population is different from those I filmed in Guanacaste, Costa Rica:youtu.be/5c11wXd8pBAThis population, to me, also looks a bit bigger in individual body size.
What a nice snake! AntGirl 2018-12-10 | This seems to be a Western Patch-Nosed Snake (Salvadora hexalepis hexalepis). I encountered it while anting near the Salt River in Tonto National Forest this fall. Just a beautiful beast.
Weaver ant queen - Oecophylla smaragdina AntGirl 2018-09-22 | My colleague @jebie710 studies chemical communication in this species of weaver ants native to Australia. A group of dedicated workers protects their queen as they were transferred from one container to another.
Bald-faced Hornets at the Philadelphia Zoo AntGirl 2018-09-04 | Lincoln and I chat about Dolichovespula maculata at the Philadelphia zoo on a hot summer day. If you look closely, you can see a few individuals fanning the nest entrance to help the colony stay cool!Two of the most common wasps questions I hear: 1.) What is a hornet? 2.)What is a yellowjacket? Well, both are types of paper wasps, which build nests out of wood pulp and water. A hornet is any species of paper wasp either in genus Vespa or Provespa. Meanwhile a yellowjacket is any paper wasp in either genus Vespula or Dolichovespula. Therefore, despite the common name, Bald-faced hornets are actually yellowjackets, not hornets. The misnomer likely stems from the tendency of many Dolichovespula species to construct large hornet-esque nests in trees, while most other yellowjackets build nests underground. I've observed several instances of Americans referring to any wasp with yellow on it as a "yellowjacket." You can see an example of this mistake here as Dr. Matt from VetRanch refers to a colony of Polistes carolina as "red wasps", but the Polistes exclamans nest right next to it is deemed "yellowjackets": youtu.be/wSdM1syogog?t=3m19sDr. Matt is great and all, but this is not correct.
Ants versus Bees! Sit-and-wait predation at stingless bee nest entrances AntGirl 2018-09-01 | Want to know more? Check out our recent note in the Journal of Insect Behavior:Ostwald, M. M., Ruzi, S. A., & Baudier, K. M. (2018). Ambush Predation of Stingless Bees (Tetragonisca angustula) by the Solitary-Foraging Ant Ectatomma tuberculatum. Journal of Insect Behavior, 1-7.doi.org/10.1007/s10905-018-9694-9
Polyergus on the move (slave-maker ants) AntGirl 2018-08-29 | Last month Christina Kwapich (can be seen here: youtube.com/watch?v=6DXORV4ZflI and here: youtube.com/watch?v=ekSjRsnhJrk) and I encountered intense Polyergus activity while doing some fieldwork near Lake Henshaw, CA. Raid? Emigration? Nuptial flight prep? What do you think?
Chill and Ant with me AntGirl 2018-08-04 | Students and I discuss the use of "morpho species" as I film this lovely march of some Atta colombica down a flowering tree.
Huge Fishing Spider with BABIES! AntGirl 2018-08-02 | Maternal care at its finest!Observed on a night hike as part of the ASU Tropical Biology Field Course in Panama
