An extreme close-up of an English Common Red Garden Ant, showing good detail of the compound eye, antennae and mandible
This image formed from a stack of over 180 images to get the required depth of field. Myrmica rubra, also known as the European fire ant or common red ant, is a species of ant of the genus Myrmrica, found all over Europe. They are mainly red in colour, with slightly darker pigmentation on the head. The ants live under stones, fallen trees, and in soil. They are aggressive ants, often attacking rather than running away, and are equipped with a sting, though lack the ability to spray formic acid like the genus Formica. Common Red Ant colonies have a polygyne form and can have up to one hundred queens per nest. They are also polydomous, meaning many nests per individual colony.
Size: 3653px × 5479px
Location: Dorset, England, United Kingdom
Photo credit: © ALAN MORGAN PHOTOGRAPHY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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