The Speedy Cataglyphis aenescens: A Fascinating Study of Desert Ants
Cataglyphis aenescens: The Desert Ant
Introduction
Cataglyphis aenescens, also known as the desert ant, is a fascinating insect species that is well-adapted to survive in harsh desert environments. These ants belong to the genus Cataglyphis, which is known for their ability to navigate and forage in the desert heat.
Physical Characteristics
Cataglyphis aenescens are small ants, typically measuring around 5 to 7 millimeters in length. They have slender bodies with long legs, allowing them to move quickly across the sand. The color of their exoskeleton varies from species to species, but C. aenescens is primarily dark brown or black.
Navigation and Foraging
One of the most remarkable aspects of Cataglyphis aenescens is their navigational abilities. They are able to find their way back to their nest even after extensive foraging trips, sometimes covering distances of up to 100 meters away from their colony. They rely on a combination of visual cues and path integration to navigate the complex desert landscape.
Life Cycle
Cataglyphis aenescens have a typical ant life cycle, starting with an egg that develops into a larva, then pupa, and finally an adult ant. The queen ant is responsible for laying eggs, and the workers take care of the brood and engage in foraging activities. The ants communicate through chemical signals, using pheromones to mark trails and communicate with their fellow nestmates.
Ecological Importance
These desert ants play a vital role in their ecosystems as scavengers and predators. They help to control populations of other insects and contribute to the decomposition of organic matter. Additionally, Cataglyphis aenescens are an important food source for other desert-dwelling animals, such as lizards and birds.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Cataglyphis aenescens, or the desert ant, is an incredible species that has adapted to thrive in the extreme conditions of desert environments. With their remarkable navigational abilities and important ecological role, these ants are a crucial component of desert ecosystems. Further research on C. aenescens can provide valuable insights into the adaptations and behaviors of desert-dwelling organisms.
Cataglyphis aenescens – Runner ant
Life on the steppe is full of limitations and creating good living conditions in this area is difficult. In these arid areas, water is worth its weight in gold, and the summer temperature during the day breaks all records. However, these steppe terrains are home to one of the most popular indoor ant species, Messor structor, as well as the less popular but more desirable Cataglyphis aenescens.
Cataglyphis or the steppe runner are black shiny ants of medium size (4-12 mm). They live in steppe and desert areas, they are found from eastern Europe and further east to Central Asia. This species has polymorphism, although it is not very pronounced: in the colony you can find large individuals (12 mm) with a slightly enlarged head – they can be considered soldiers, although the functions of soldiers do not differ from those of ordinary workers. Cataglyphis aenescens has a number of abilities to survive in the harsh desert climate. First of all, it is the reflective structure of the coatings: the body (armor) of runners is shiny for a reason – its surface perfectly reflects direct sunlight. Secondly, they have high speed, which makes these ants “runners”. In heat above 40 degrees Celsius, these ants “fly” so fast that their movement is almost invisible. increases their aerodynamics Although runners are immune to heat, runners prefer to spend less time in the sun and must be very fast in order to have time to find food.
During the day, worker bees make many short trips away from the nest, lasting only a few minutes (or even less). During this period, they have to get something edible and return to a gently cool “apartment”, which, by the way, can reach several meters – therefore the temperature in the nest is always much lower than on the surface, and the humidity, on the contrary, is higher. However, moving without consequences in the scorching sun is impossible, it has its negative impact due to the accelerated metabolism at high temperatures, workers live quite a short time.
During the day, worker bees make many short trips away from the nest, lasting only a few minutes (or even less). During this period, they have to get something edible and return to a gently cool “apartment”, which, by the way, can reach several meters – therefore the temperature in the nest is always much lower than on the surface, and the humidity, on the contrary, is higher. However, moving without consequences in the scorching sun is impossible, it has its negative impact due to the accelerated metabolism at high temperatures, workers live quite a short time.
Cataglyphis velox on the video
Steppe runners orient themselves in space, relying mainly on what they see in the surroundings. Leaving the nest, the ant first looks around to determine the location of the entrance and surrounding objects, and only then runs into the distance. In the same way, ants look for food. It is common for an ant to simply run past food that is literally next to it just because it is obscured by a pebble or other microrelief element. Other species whose orientation is based on the smell would detect food long ago, but runners hardly catch odors at such high speed. Such a defect does not affect the success in obtaining food, because sooner or later a chaotic runner will come across something to eat. In nature, they eat various arthropods, flower nectar and small seeds with a delicate shell. By nature, they are not more hunters but scavengers, as they prefer to collect dead insects that have died due to heat or other factors. But Cataglyphis’ combat skills are well developed, so they can sometimes kill any small arthropod caught while foraging with their sharp jaws and a stream of acid.
They often attack single ants of a different species, but when there is a large concentration of opponents, they prefer to retreat immediately. Protein food in the diet of this species plays a significantly greater role than carbohydrate food, because the larvae grow intensively and require frequent feeding. The growth rate of the larvae is impressive: with enough food and high temperatures, the period from the larva that has just hatched from the egg to the pupa is only three days! Carbohydrate food in the colony is stored in young individuals that act as “living barrels”.
Such ants store liquid carbohydrates and water in their bloated belly and then share it at the request of their loved ones.
This species is not difficult to breed, but only if several conditions are met. They do not require any special materials from the farm – the formicarium can be made of acrylic or plaster. But the arena must be as spacious as possible, so that there is enough space for your animals where they will spend a lot of time. The second condition, which also applies to the arena, is to fill the base with sand (e.g. quartz). The sand is important because the ants will carry it into the formicarium and use it as a base for the larvae to weave a cocoon. This is also a kind of entertainment for these active ants – with their front paws they will dig sand over the entire surface of the arena, apparently releasing excess energy in this way. The temperature of the formicarium and arena should be different (in the nest – about 20-24 degrees, in the arena – 28-38). Terrarium lamps for reptiles perfectly perform the function of lighting and heating.
Ants need to be fed with live or dead medium-sized insects (cockroaches, crickets and others), honey or sugar syrup, juicy sweet fruits, pieces of nuts.
There should be a drinking fountain in the arena – even though these ants are drought-resistant and live in desert areas, they love water. It is advisable to provide fresh food every day because the development of the colony is intensive. If you follow these simple maintenance requirements, the fast and active Cataglyphis are sure to become one of your favorite pets.