Ants (Formicidae) of the southeastern United States-MEM Ant Videos

We recently purchased a Sony handycam HDR-HC9 video camera with the goal of being able to video various insects in the field and under the microscope. With a video tube and adapter, it can be mounted on a Leica MZ16 microscope. Hopefully, many interesting videos documenting insect behavior will be produced. To view the video, click the play button at the bottom left of the embedded Youtube video to the right of the title. Clicking on the video itself will open the video on the Youtube sight.

25 March 2009- Pachycondyla chinensis (Asian needle ants) preying on termites. This video (7:22 minutes-no audio) shows the ants chewing, licking, and carrying termites around. The termites appear to be alive (except for the one missing a head), but they have been been immobilized, possibly by the stings of the ants (video taped with Leica MZ16 microscope with 0.5 X objective at lowest magnification.