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  • Leaf cutters have developed more than incredible communication and division of labour - they have developed farming - of fungus. They carry sections of leaf deep into the ground where they process fresh leaves to a perfect state for their own special fungus to grow. The ants feed entirely on the products of the fungus. Leaf cutter colonies are enormous numbering over 10 million ants. Within the colony there are special castes that perform duties much as cells do in a human body - leading to these ants being described as a super organism.
  • A harvester ant climbs atop a rock as a car drives by in the background.
  • Army ants create a bivouac made of their own bodies.
  • Nigel Franks watches as Frankencam films an experiment that has helped us understand how ants make decisions.
  • Cleanliness is very important to ants, and especially to leaf cutters, as any harmful germs could easily destroy their fungus gardens. This leaf cutter soldier cleans its feet before entering the fungus garden
  • Red harvester ants from the same species, but different nests, fight each other.
  • The most famous army ant, Eciton burchellii undertakes a million strong migration every night for three weeks. The workers carry brood and any food they have handy. The migration lasts for about 3 hours.
  • One of the things that has enabled ants to become so dominant in the world is their ability to communicate. Army ants take communication and team work to new levels of sophistication.
  • The bullet ant (Paraponera clavata) is reputed to have a sting so painful, it feels like being shot. This is one of the largest ants in the word at over an inch long. In this photo, the ant is collecting liquid to carry back to the nest in its jaws.
  • Workers guard pupae and larvae inside the nest. These incredible ants have an interesting social structure that allows for workers to take the role of the queen if she dies - if they can prove their strength to other workers.
  • Getting low to the ground and close to ants is one of the biggest challenges facing anybody trying to film ants. Frankencam has been designed specifically to create an ant's eye view of the world in high definition.
  • A Leafcutter foraging for leaves.
  • These are Harvester ants, (Pogonomyrmex maricopa) and long legged ants (Aphaenogaster sp.). Every day, these two species from neighboring nests fight for the territory between their nests. Every day, the harvester ants beat the long legged ants back into the ground. Every night, the long legged ants reclaim their lost territory.
  • The Argentine ant, (Linepithema humile) has colonised much of the world, with trillions of ants and billions of nests, a kind of enormous super-colony. Unusually for ants, most of these nests are on friendly terms. But in Spain, there is another super-colony which is at war with the other. Whenever ants from each colony meet, they immediately kill each other. There are rarely survivors of these fights. Xavier Espalader of the University of Barcelona uses these fights (in a petri dish) to identify which ants belong to which supercolony.

  • Leaf Cutter Ants

    Photograph by NGT

    Leaf cutters have developed more than incredible communication and division of labour - they have developed farming - of fungus. They carry sections of leaf deep into the ground where they process fresh leaves to a perfect state for their own special fungus to grow. The ants feed entirely on the products of the fungus. Leaf cutter colonies are enormous numbering over 10 million ants. Within the colony there are special castes that perform duties much as cells do in a human body - leading to these ants being described as a super organism.

  • Harvester Ant

    Photograph by NGT

    A harvester ant climbs atop a rock as a car drives by in the background.

  • Army Ant Bivouac

    Photograph by NGT

    Army ants create a bivouac made of their own bodies.

  • Ant Experiment

    Photograph by NGT

    Nigel Franks watches as Frankencam films an experiment that has helped us understand how ants make decisions.

  • Cleaning Antennae

    Photograph by NGT

    Cleanliness is very important to ants, and especially to leaf cutters, as any harmful germs could easily destroy their fungus gardens. This leaf cutter soldier cleans its feet before entering the fungus garden

  • Cousin vs Cousin

    Photograph by NGT

    Red harvester ants from the same species, but different nests, fight each other.

  • Million Strong Migration

    Photograph by NGT

    The most famous army ant, Eciton burchellii undertakes a million strong migration every night for three weeks. The workers carry brood and any food they have handy. The migration lasts for about 3 hours.

  • Ant Communication

    Photograph by NGT

    One of the things that has enabled ants to become so dominant in the world is their ability to communicate. Army ants take communication and team work to new levels of sophistication.

  • The Bullet Ant

    Photograph by NGT

    The bullet ant (Paraponera clavata) is reputed to have a sting so painful, it feels like being shot. This is one of the largest ants in the word at over an inch long. In this photo, the ant is collecting liquid to carry back to the nest in its jaws.

  • Guarding Offspring

    Photograph by NGT

    Workers guard pupae and larvae inside the nest. These incredible ants have an interesting social structure that allows for workers to take the role of the queen if she dies - if they can prove their strength to other workers.

  • Close Up Camera

    Photograph by NGT

    Getting low to the ground and close to ants is one of the biggest challenges facing anybody trying to film ants. Frankencam has been designed specifically to create an ant's eye view of the world in high definition.

  • Foraging for Leaves

    Photograph by NGT

    A Leafcutter foraging for leaves.

  • Neighbor against Neighbor

    Photograph by NGT

    These are Harvester ants, (Pogonomyrmex maricopa) and long legged ants (Aphaenogaster sp.). Every day, these two species from neighboring nests fight for the territory between their nests. Every day, the harvester ants beat the long legged ants back into the ground. Every night, the long legged ants reclaim their lost territory.

  • Petri Dish Showdown

    Photograph by NGT

    The Argentine ant, (Linepithema humile) has colonised much of the world, with trillions of ants and billions of nests, a kind of enormous super-colony. Unusually for ants, most of these nests are on friendly terms. But in Spain, there is another super-colony which is at war with the other. Whenever ants from each colony meet, they immediately kill each other. There are rarely survivors of these fights. Xavier Espalader of the University of Barcelona uses these fights (in a petri dish) to identify which ants belong to which supercolony.
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