Edible Leafcutter Ants
(07/24/2007) Edible Leaf-Cutter Ants
A little while back I received a package from an amazing person in Texas whom I met indirectly through www.Bugguide.net . This spectacular individual had agreed to try to harvest these winged alates [which emerge within a pretty specific time-window, kind of like cicadas but far less numerous].  Though at first it had seemed that we’d missed the window of opportunity, in the end I got OVER 2 POUNDS of these impressive and beautiful ants.  They were shipped overnight to my Rhode Island home and arrived nicely chilled.    I’ve tried them; while they’re tasty – unlike cicadas, their wings are largely inedible – I have yet to make them the delectable delicacies I know them to be.  These ants are consumed in Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, and probably elsewhere.  If anyone can suggest a good recipe (Roasting, baking?  What spices, if any?) I’d be grateful for some advice. Thanks,
Dave
www.slshrimp.com



Thanks David,
We can always depend upon you for palette stimulating submissions.

Carpenter Ant
(05/08/2007) want tio know
just want to know what type of ant this is it is an inch long thank you
allan mckee
Lewiston,ID



Hi Allan,
This is a Carpenter Ant in the genus Camponotus.

Reproductive Flying Weaver Ant
(01/04/2007) Weaver Ant from Thailand: Queen (or Male ?)
Here's a queen from the colony (or a male, not sure). Note how it has a green body (like weaver ants in Australia) unlike the workers. Regards
Sean



Hi again Sean,
Thank you for your wonderful additions to our site.

Weaver Ant from Thailand
(12/30/2006) Oecophylla (Weaver Ant)
Hello Bugman
I thought your viewers may enjoy this picture of what I guess is an Oecophylla (Weaver Ant) having a chew on my finger. These little bundles of joy are probably the dominant predators in our garden give or take the odd snake. We live in Thailand. Regards
Sean



Hi Sean,
Thank you for sending us your photo of a Weaver Ant. We did some research, and would love it if you could provide us with an image of the nest they weave from living leaves.

Update: (01/04/2007)
Here's a picture of one of the small satellite nests. The main soccer ball size nests (and there are many) are high up in a Jack Fruit tree and I can't get a clear picture unfortunately. The tree is visible on Google Earth so I've attached a .kmz file so you can see where these ants are in Thailand. I don't think that Wikipedia article is quite right with respect to '...and are known for their painful, irritating sting'. Thankfully they're stingless. I guess they don't need a sting with those jaws. They seem to do very well without one. Regards
Sean



Hi again Sean,
Thanks so much for the additonal photo and information.

Edible Mexican Queen: Leaf Cutting Ant
(05/19/2006) Ant or Wasp?
Hi WTB,
I found this wasp or maybe ant in my driveway this morning when I went to take the trash out. I also saw a second one trying to right itself out of a small puddle on our walkway. I'm in central Mexico, in San Miguel de Allende, and we've had a bit of rain the last few days, including last night. This creature is about 1 1/2" - 2" in length with fuzzy thorax, and the rear section is very bulbous with shiny dark brown stripped sections. The overall color is kind of a reddish brown. The antennae are straight so it doesn't quite look like a tarantula hawk. And while it looks like a wasp there doesn't seem to be a stinger. So I'm uncertain as to whether this is a wasp or an ant. It also was originally upside down and I picked it up by the wing to put it right. Doesn't appear to be aggressive. There are pinchers on the mouthparts. A look on your wasp pages and ant pages left me clueless as did a search on bug guide since I wasn't too sure exactly what specifically to look for. Hoping you can shed some light on this.
Thanks in advance,
Stefanie



Hi Stephanie,
We saw these same enormous Flying Ants many years ago in Chiatla, Puebla, Mexico. There was an incredible swarm after a rain. We don't know the species but we will do some research.

Mexican flying Ant
Hello Daniel and Lisa Anne,
I am in love with your site, and visit it daily. The flying ant is from the genus Atta, the leaf-cutting ants. In fact she is an alate, a winged Queen. These insects are known as "Hormigas Culonas" ('big-bottom ants,' in reference to their quite substantial abdomens) in Colombia, where they are so esteemed as a delicacy that they appear to be in danger of overharvesting. I've eaten them -- though, alas, not fresh from the source -- and can report a taste like bacon and pistachio nut combined. Edible insects are my passion, and I've been thinking about sending you a couple of images. If you'd be willing to include a link to my site, that would be fantastic.
All the best,
Dave Gracer
www.slshrimp.com

Update: (07/25/2006) Edible Mexican Queen: Leaf Cutting Ant
Hi, great site! Regarding the Edible Mexican Queen, having lived in Chiapas I can tell you that the local name for this is "nucú" (doesn't rhyme with cuckoo). As mentioned by Stefanie and Dave, they usually swarm right after heavy rains, when they are harvested by locals and toasted for food. Haven't tried them myself, as they are only aboveground for a short period before shedding their wings and burrowing to (hopefully) start a new colony, and I was never around at the right time. Saludos,
Diego V. Hernández

Update: (08/01/2007)
Another update on Mexican Ants
I'm afraid Diego might be somewhat mistaken about the "Edible Mexican Queen Ant".   The edible ants in Chiapás aren't queen ants (or at least they're not only the queens).  They are collected in large groups and can be bought by the kilo, so I think they must be female worker ants or possibly males or both. They only come out in swarms around June.  Nucú is probably a term from the Mayan language. I believe the ants are toasted only to keep them from moving around too much! They are also attracted to reflections of light so a lot of them are collected as they drown in puddles or containers of water. Nucú cools off immediately and is usually eaten cold.  Sometimes is cooked mixed into other foods, and can be mixed into salsas, or sprinkled on food like a condiment.  They have about the same texture as popcorn and taste a bit buttery (definitely could use some salt!) Probably better with lemon juice too.  Note that fruit here is a small green lemon, not really limes!  The major problem with the Nucú is the legs very easily get stuck in your teeth. Its only for this reason I stopped eating them.
Chris Daniels

Carpenter Ant
(05/05/2006) Some neat bugs!
Hi Bugman!
Near Lake Erie, while birding, I spotted this ant. It seemed 'different' to me and I'm cluelss as to his unwilling meal. I found it and others like it climbing a tree of which half was rotten. (The rotten half had a delightful colony of baby garter snakes looking up into the bright sun above). Thanks for your help.
Cathy Wilson



Hi Cathy,
These big black ants are Carpenter Ants.

Flying Ants
(04/03/2006) Ant? Termite? Freak of nature?
Can you tell me exactly what these are? They range from 3/8 inch to almost 1 inch.
Thank you,
Andre'



Hi André,
Flying Ants are kings and queens, the reproductive members of the colony.

Ants Move Onto Fence
(01/06/2006) Ant colony surviving Hurricane Wilma
Just thought you might be interested in seeing how a colony of ants survived Hurricane Wilma in Sebring, Florida. I think they are fire ants, but not positive.
Mike D.
Sebring, Florida



Hi Mike,
Ants sure have a strong survival instinct. During the 1983 El Niño, Sugar Ants moved into our boxspring to get out of the rain.

Trapjaw Ant
(01/05/2006) unknown ant
this ant was found in southeastern georgia, sandhill habitat. it was found alone the long jaws caught my eye. any idea what species it may be?
sarah and anthony, GA



Hi Sarah and Anthony,
Your photo matches a photo of a worker Trapjaw Ant in the genus Odontomachus that we located on BugGuide.

Probably Carpenter Ant
(10/01/2005) Dear Mr Bugman,
Thanks for helping me identify a few Bugs. I am quite impressed with your collection of photographs. You have helped me acquire quite a bit of knowledge, Thank you! Hopefully you may be able to use these Ant Photo's I've included. Maybe they will help someone else along the way. These ants were almost a half inch long, in southwestern Colorado, close to Ridgway. Elevation about 8200 ft. Late August. Carpenter Ants? I'm also glad that I'm not alone in the bug lovin' world. Afterall they don't eat much. Some think I'm nuts, as I've  reared a few spiders . Orb Weavers and Widows. Rather fascinating and contrasting web construction. Both very strong silk. I would love to help you add to your collection of photos. If your so inclined. Thanks again!
All the Best with Kindest regards,
Brad Stolte
Spring Valley, Ca



Hi Brad,
Thanks for the nice letter. We are proud of our photo collection, but have to give all the credit to our readership. Now, regarding your ant identification. First the discaimer: We find it very difficult to possitively identify ants. That said, we believe we found a match by turning to BugGuide. This could be the genus Camponotus. We will post and drop Eric Eaton a line to get a confirmation.

Flying Ants
(07/12/2005) Bizzare Fly-type things in my room?
Just today I've been finding tons of little red fly style things hanging around my desk. What could they be and where could they be coming from? They are very pesky and I'd like to get rid of them. I've attached two somewhat clear pictures. Thanks.



You have Flying Ants. There must be a nearby nest and that is where the kings and queens are originating for their nuptial and only flight.

Flying Ants
(08/12/2004) My bugs
These tiny little bugs swarmed our kitchen a few days ago. They literally covered the counter top and we have no idea where they came from. One minute there was nothing, and then like 10 minutes later they were crawling all over the counter and the floor and flying around the light. There were hundreds of them. They sort of look like fruit flies but they seem bigger and I've never seen that many fruit flies together before. Maybe they all just hatched at the same time or something. Let me know what you think.
Thanks
Ayron



Hi Ayron,
You have flying ants. These are the reproductive queens and kings. They swarm and mate in the air, then form new colonies. You must have an ant nest that has an egress into your kitchen.

Carpenter Ants?
(06/23/2004) Nocturnal Ants
In my kitchen, at night, large ant looking bugs scurry about when the light is turned on. They are not too shy and do not act like nornal ants. They seem independent of each other and more intellegent than regular ants. Please can you help me identify this bug and how do I rid my home of them? Thank you,
Dana



Hi Dana,
Carpenter Ants of the genus Camponotus are the largest ants in our part of the world. The largest species, C. herculeanus pennsylvanicus is a large black ant. There are several smaller species that are red and black like your photo, including C. vicinus, C. semites taceus, and C. clarithorax. They build their nests in wood, often inhabiting preexisting termite galleries, and often burrow into rotten wood.

(5/21/03)I recently went out onto our concrete porch early this morning to find dozens and dozens of bugs that look sort of like ants but they have wings. Also, two or three of them seem to attach to each other to make a little "train." I sprayed a bunch of them with Orange Cleaner and it seemed to kill some of them. We had a new bag of cat litter sitting on the porch that we haven't brought inside yet, and it seems that the bag is infested with these bugs now. I live in North Carolina, please help me!!!

Dear Infested,
   You probably have an ant swarm, which is the winged nuptial flight of the future kings and queens. Not all ants in a nest are reproductive.Most are infertile female workers and soldiers. The new kings and queens take flight, often after a rain, and mate in the air which explains the "train" you witnessed. Then they return to earth, dig a hole (your cat litter was a soft spot that appealed to them) and the new pair set up housekeeping, forming a new colony.

Dear RD,
You probably cannot truly get rid of them but there are many theories worth trying including Chinese chalk.  Just seal up the cracks where they enter the house and keep the place spotless.  They love sugar and grease.

Dear What's that Bug,
      The ants which have invaded my boyfriend's apartment have a special love for my panties. Every morning, I find that the previous day's pair has been invaded by an army of panty-crazy ants. I know that it is most likely the delightful scent I impart to this intimate clothing which attracts these lustful insects, but I find the whole situation to be a bit distasteful. Is there anything I can do to keep the anties away from my panties?
     Yours,
     Ant Bait
Dear Sugar Snatch,
      I don't think you want to resort to spraying your panties with Raid™ or some other insecticide, and I also don't think your boyfriend would appreciate you changing your delightful personal aroma. I think the solution is to pick up after yourself and not leave your panties strewn about the floor where the ants can find them. You can also try washing them by hand and hanging them to dry so that you have a fresh pair of panties after your sleep-over.