Ants are curious creatures. One always sees them crawling about, busy as can be. Some are pioneers, treading where no ant had tread before. Many others follow the tiny trail of pheromone filled excrement left by their pioneer sisters to sources of food, danger, or a new home.
Yesterday, the rainy season official began. It poured, if only for about 15 minutes. Barely enough for the soil in the orchard of Terminal 5 to get fully soaked. So off we went to irrigate the fruit trees along with Cactus Corner.
As I was watering the pitahayos (dragon fruit plants), I noticed an unusual concentration of minuscule ants climbing up the arms. I though it was strange as there were more than usual and nothing on these plants they could eat (yet). It's usually the leaf-cutter ants we are wary of since they strip all our plants of everything green. I consider them the squirrels of the ant world; bane to all gardeners.
Upon closer inspection, I realized these ants were not foraging. Some of them had wings! Of course! After it rains, and depending on the species and its corresponding season, ants hold their nuptial flight. It's more of an orgy than a wedding, really. Somehow, the entire species coordinates this flight in which all the winged reproductives fly high into the air, mingle with those of other colonies, and then descend again. Unfortunately, the males don't last long after this event. The females, however, now young queens, land and tear off their own wings. They won't be needing them any longer. Then they dig a tunnel and a small chamber in which to found a brand new colony of her own. Amazing.
Here you can see exactly how tiny they are compared to my thumb. The only question I have burning in my mind is: what species could this be‽ This is not the first time I've seen them. They are so small that they could probably crawl through the eye of a needle! I've seen them in our home, namely the kitchen and bathroom. They are so insignificant that we don't even consider them pests. In fact, I'm not even sure they eat our food. They could just be rent-free tenants or simply passing through. This species does have a taste for meat though, as I have observed them devouring a dead lizard in the past.
I am a fan of ants but only when they are invited (in the form of an ant farm). I would not attempt to keep these ants though. Their small stature surely makes them excellent escape artists. Something also tells me this species likes to have multiple queens per colony, which can lead to explosive growth. I'd much rather observe these ants from the field, though I might never discover what exact species they are or if they are in fact native to Central America.
Either way, it was amazing and a privilege to witness since these kinds of events happen only one day out of the year.