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Amazing animals: The honeypot ant

The Honey Ants Dream. Une fourmi pot de miel lors d’un échange buccal par trophallaxie avec une reine vierge de la colonie. Les fourmis à miel font partie des fourmis omnivores. Le stockage du miellat est indispensable à la survie de la colonie et sa consommation représente 40 % de l’alimentation de la colonie. Les fourmis réservoirs sont l’objet de toutes les attentions de la part des ouvrières qui les nettoient et inspectent. Northern Territory, AustraliaThe Honey Ants Dream. Une fourmi pot de miel lors d’un échange buccal par trophallaxie avec une reine vierge de la colonie. Les fourmis à miel font partie des fourmis omnivores. Le stockage du miellat est indispensable à la survie de la colonie et sa consommation représente 40 % de l’alimentation de la colonie. Les fourmis réservoirs sont l’objet de toutes les attentions de la part des ouvrières qui les nettoient et inspectent. Northern Territory, Australia© Eric Tourneret / Biosphoto - RMNon exclusive sale
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The Honey Ants Dream. Une fourmi pot de miel lors d’un échange

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The Honey Ants Dream. An Aborigine child shows us a honeypot ant. Northern Territory, AustraliaThe Honey Ants Dream. An Aborigine child shows us a honeypot ant. Northern Territory, Australia© Eric Tourneret / Biosphoto - RMNon exclusive sale
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The Honey Ants Dream. An Aborigine child shows us a honeypot ant.

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The Honey Ants Dream. 14 Repletes, the “honey pots”, in the hand of an Aborigine woman. The repletes' chambers are often situated more than a meter deep and the only way of finding them is to locate the Melophotus bogati ants' discreet entrances at the foot of the mulga trees and then dig, following the tunnel which goes down vertically to more than one meter below ground. Northern Territory, AustraliaThe Honey Ants Dream. 14 Repletes, the “honey pots”, in the hand of an Aborigine woman. The repletes' chambers are often situated more than a meter deep and the only way of finding them is to locate the Melophotus bogati ants' discreet entrances at the foot of the mulga trees and then dig, following the tunnel which goes down vertically to more than one meter below ground. Northern Territory, Australia© Eric Tourneret / Biosphoto - RMNon exclusive sale
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The Honey Ants Dream. 14 Repletes, the “honey pots”, in the

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The Honey Ants Dream. In the honeypot ants' chambers. The repletes cling to the vertical walls as well as the ceiling of the storage chamber with their front legs. They are visited by the worker ants who caress their antennas and head to receive a drop of the precious honeydew. Northern Territory, AustraliaThe Honey Ants Dream. In the honeypot ants' chambers. The repletes cling to the vertical walls as well as the ceiling of the storage chamber with their front legs. They are visited by the worker ants who caress their antennas and head to receive a drop of the precious honeydew. Northern Territory, Australia© Eric Tourneret / Biosphoto - RMNon exclusive sale
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The Honey Ants Dream. In the honeypot ants' chambers. The

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Honey ants dug up by Aboriginal ladies in Australia ; Warlpiri Aborginal community of Alice Spring

Honey ants dug up by Aboriginal ladies in AustraliaHoney ants dug up by Aboriginal ladies in Australia ; Warlpiri Aborginal community of Alice Spring© Fred Muller / Biosphoto - RM

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Honey ants dug up by Aboriginal ladies in Australia ; Warlpiri

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The Honey Ants Dream. Audrey Martin, a 59-year-old Aborigine woman digging with a burrowing stick, these days made of metal. Once made of acacia aneura wood, this stick was also used as much to dig up honey ants and tubers as to throw at prey such as lizards and other small animals. Northern Territory, AustraliaThe Honey Ants Dream. Audrey Martin, a 59-year-old Aborigine woman digging with a burrowing stick, these days made of metal. Once made of acacia aneura wood, this stick was also used as much to dig up honey ants and tubers as to throw at prey such as lizards and other small animals. Northern Territory, Australia© Eric Tourneret / Biosphoto - RMNon exclusive sale
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The Honey Ants Dream. Audrey Martin, a 59-year-old Aborigine

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Harvesting of honeypot ants by Australian Aborigines ; Warlpiri Aboriginal community of Alice Springs.

Harvesting of honeypot ants by Australian AboriginesHarvesting of honeypot ants by Australian Aborigines ; Warlpiri Aboriginal community of Alice Springs.© Fred Muller / Biosphoto - RM

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Harvesting of honeypot ants by Australian Aborigines ; Warlpiri

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Honeypot ant unearthed by Australian Aborigines AustraliaHoneypot ant unearthed by Australian Aborigines Australia© Fred Muller / Biosphoto - RM

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Honeypot ant unearthed by Australian Aborigines Australia

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Aboriginal child with an honey ant in Australia ; Warlpiri Aboriginal community of Alice Springs.

Aboriginal child with an honey ant in AustraliaAboriginal child with an honey ant in Australia ; Warlpiri Aboriginal community of Alice Springs.© Fred Muller / Biosphoto - RM

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Aboriginal child with an honey ant in Australia ; Warlpiri

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Honey ants dug up by Aboriginal ladies in AustraliaHoney ants dug up by Aboriginal ladies in Australia ; Warlpiri Aborginal community of Alice Spring© Fred Muller / Biosphoto - RM

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Honey ants dug up by Aboriginal ladies in Australia ; Warlpiri

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Honey ants dug up by Aboriginal ladies in AustraliaHoney ants dug up by Aboriginal ladies in Australia ; Warlpiri Aborginal community of Alice Spring© Fred Muller / Biosphoto - RM

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Honey ants dug up by Aboriginal ladies in Australia ; Warlpiri

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The Honey Ants Dream. A honeypot ant in the mouth of an Aborigine child. It is a delicacy, surprising in its sweetness and its delicate taste. Northern Territory, AustraliaThe Honey Ants Dream. A honeypot ant in the mouth of an Aborigine child. It is a delicacy, surprising in its sweetness and its delicate taste. Northern Territory, Australia© Eric Tourneret / Biosphoto - RMNon exclusive sale
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The Honey Ants Dream. A honeypot ant in the mouth of an Aborigine

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The Honey Ants Dream. Aborigine women still sometimes practice this harvest on the plains where the mulga tree grows. The Melophotus bogati ants live in symbiosis with this tree. Northern Territory, AustraliaThe Honey Ants Dream. Aborigine women still sometimes practice this harvest on the plains where the mulga tree grows. The Melophotus bogati ants live in symbiosis with this tree. Northern Territory, Australia© Eric Tourneret / Biosphoto - RMNon exclusive sale
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The Honey Ants Dream. Aborigine women still sometimes practice

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The Honey Ants Dream. A honey ant during a buccal exchange through trophallaxis with a honeypot ant. The honey ants are omnivorous ants. The storing of honeydew is indispensable for the colony's survival and its consumption represents 40% of the colony's nourishment. The honeypot ants, “repletes”, are attentively cared for by the worker ants who clean and inspect them. Northern Territory, AustraliaThe Honey Ants Dream. A honey ant during a buccal exchange through trophallaxis with a honeypot ant. The honey ants are omnivorous ants. The storing of honeydew is indispensable for the colony's survival and its consumption represents 40% of the colony's nourishment. The honeypot ants, “repletes”, are attentively cared for by the worker ants who clean and inspect them. Northern Territory, Australia© Eric Tourneret / Biosphoto - RMNon exclusive sale
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The Honey Ants Dream. A honey ant during a buccal exchange

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The Honey Ants Dream. Les travailleuses, nettoient les pots de miel et à l’aide de leurs antennes grattent le cou de la fourmi réservoir. À la fin du nettoyage, les fourmis réservoirs ouvrent leurs mandibules et donnent l’accès à un bouchon à l’intérieur de leur bouche et une goutte de nectar sort de leur bouche pour nourrir les travailleuses. Northern Territory, AustraliaThe Honey Ants Dream. Les travailleuses, nettoient les pots de miel et à l’aide de leurs antennes grattent le cou de la fourmi réservoir. À la fin du nettoyage, les fourmis réservoirs ouvrent leurs mandibules et donnent l’accès à un bouchon à l’intérieur de leur bouche et une goutte de nectar sort de leur bouche pour nourrir les travailleuses. Northern Territory, Australia© Eric Tourneret / Biosphoto - RMNon exclusive sale
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The Honey Ants Dream. Les travailleuses, nettoient les pots de

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The Honey Ants Dream. The behaviour of these small-brained insects often seems to embody characteristics we wish were more apparent in ourselves, such as a selflessness on behalf of the community and the ability to plan ahead in order to replace scarcity with plenty. Of course when times are really hard ants have also been known to eat their offspring – but then no society is perfect. Northern Territory, AustraliaThe Honey Ants Dream. The behaviour of these small-brained insects often seems to embody characteristics we wish were more apparent in ourselves, such as a selflessness on behalf of the community and the ability to plan ahead in order to replace scarcity with plenty. Of course when times are really hard ants have also been known to eat their offspring – but then no society is perfect. Northern Territory, Australia© Eric Tourneret / Biosphoto - RMNon exclusive sale
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The Honey Ants Dream. The behaviour of these small-brained

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The Honey Ants Dream. Honeypot ants hold onto the ceiling of their cave with their legs as their sister workers tend to them. The workers bring food from above ground and use their small mouths and mandibles to clean the distended bodies of the honeypots. Northern Territory, AustraliaThe Honey Ants Dream. Honeypot ants hold onto the ceiling of their cave with their legs as their sister workers tend to them. The workers bring food from above ground and use their small mouths and mandibles to clean the distended bodies of the honeypots. Northern Territory, Australia© Eric Tourneret / Biosphoto - RMNon exclusive sale
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The Honey Ants Dream. Honeypot ants hold onto the ceiling of

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The Honey Ants Dream. The women and the children participate in this harvest on the plains full of mulga trees. The Aborigines locate the honey ants at the foot of the tree by the size and the yellow grooves of the worker ants but also through the discoloration of the ground due to the formic acid with which the ants impregnate their nests and surroundings. The ground thus saturated turns a more orange color. Once the women have found the nest's entrance they dig vertically, following the main tunnel. The honey ants are very placid even if they do have powerful mandibles. Northern Territory, AustraliaThe Honey Ants Dream. The women and the children participate in this harvest on the plains full of mulga trees. The Aborigines locate the honey ants at the foot of the tree by the size and the yellow grooves of the worker ants but also through the discoloration of the ground due to the formic acid with which the ants impregnate their nests and surroundings. The ground thus saturated turns a more orange color. Once the women have found the nest's entrance they dig vertically, following the main tunnel. The honey ants are very placid even if they do have powerful mandibles. Northern Territory, Australia© Eric Tourneret / Biosphoto - RMNon exclusive sale
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The Honey Ants Dream. The women and the children participate in

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The Honey Ants Dream. The worker ants clean the honeypots and with their antenna scratch the neck of the replete. At the end of the cleaning, the repletes open their mandibles to provide access to a sort of stopper inside their mouths and a drop of nectar comes out to feed the worker ant. Northern Territory, AustraliaThe Honey Ants Dream. The worker ants clean the honeypots and with their antenna scratch the neck of the replete. At the end of the cleaning, the repletes open their mandibles to provide access to a sort of stopper inside their mouths and a drop of nectar comes out to feed the worker ant. Northern Territory, Australia© Eric Tourneret / Biosphoto - RMNon exclusive sale
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The Honey Ants Dream. The worker ants clean the honeypots and

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The Honey Ants Dream. A honeypot ant in the mouth of an Aborigine child regurgitates a drop of honeydew. Northern Territory, AustraliaThe Honey Ants Dream. A honeypot ant in the mouth of an Aborigine child regurgitates a drop of honeydew. Northern Territory, Australia© Eric Tourneret / Biosphoto - RMNon exclusive sale
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The Honey Ants Dream. A honeypot ant in the mouth of an Aborigine

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The Honey Ants Dream. The honeypot ants' chambers can generally be found more than one meter deep. They are connected to one of the entrances to the colony by a vertical tunnel that is dug out by the worker ants in very hard earth. Northern Territory, AustraliaThe Honey Ants Dream. The honeypot ants' chambers can generally be found more than one meter deep. They are connected to one of the entrances to the colony by a vertical tunnel that is dug out by the worker ants in very hard earth. Northern Territory, Australia© Eric Tourneret / Biosphoto - RMNon exclusive sale
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The Honey Ants Dream. The honeypot ants' chambers can generally

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Amazing animals: The honeypot ant