Ants are all around us but do you know that they are one of the most advanced species on the planet that have survived for the past 120 Million years! Today we had an educational family tour to The Singapore Ants Exhibition to find out more about these amazing creatures.
The place is rather small but you do not need a huge space to showcased ants. We were able to ave up close views on varying species of ants in their habitats in a safe and controlled environment. There was also guides who share and educate visitors on the lives of ants and even, the joys of Antkeeping as a hobby!
Now let me introduce some of the ants that we saw in the exhibition. First the guide introduced to us one of the largest species of ants in the world, Dinomyrmex gigas, also known as Giant forest ant. This large charismatic ant can be found in the forests of Singapore and Southeast Asia. However it is not often sighted by the public due to its predominant nocturnal activity. The size of their queen ants are as large as AA batteries!
Next we came to a colony of black crazy ant, which gets its name from its very fast erratic movement when disturbed. Unlike other ants, its hairs are white and they have very long legs and antennae. The queen ant of this species can actually clone herself, which is why it is also known as the Immortal Ant.
We continue our learning journey to the colony of Iridomyrmex bicknelli, which is a "peace loving" species that chooses to avoid confrontation whenever possible. Their nests can be found in various locations from barren footpaths, underneath soil, to sandy beaches. It is one of the few species that can nest in pure sand.
The next enclosure is a colony of Camponotus auriventris, also known as The Black Sugar Ant. As this is a day active species, it has an attractive metallic sheen on the gaster which protects them from ultraviolet (UV) rays.
We then proceeded to the next colony of Camponotus Irritans, which is a species of carpenter ant. This species got their name when they swarm and irritate their discoverer. It is also having a name of The Giant Honey Ant due to its colour. The colour gradient in its appearance construes its versatility to nest in both soil and logs.
The following species is called Camponotus albosparsus. It is the smallest camponotus species found in South East Asia. It is easy to identify its worker by two circle dots on its abdomen like two eyes on a face, using it to scare off predators. The albosparsus likes to nest under logs and holes in the ground. A rather timid species, they scavenge for food rather than hunt. One unique behaviour is that they raise their abdomens and do thrusting movements to scare their enemies when threatened.
The next species that we saw is called Tetraponera rufonigra, or The Arboreal Bicolor Ant. These species are arboreal and nest in tree trunks in the wild. They are highly aggressive and have very good eyesight. They also have a potent sting that can cause allergic reactions and/or fatality in humans if stung multiple times.
Below enclosure is a colony of Solenopsis geminata. The sting of this species feels like a cigarette burn, hence it is more commonly known as the Fire Ants. These ants are invasive and have caused disruptions on ecosystems across the world. They pose a big threat as they are highly aggressive, breed and propagate quickly, risking the native ants being wiped out. They have an effective sting that can cause pain and itch over an extended period of time if stung by them.
We moved on to the next enclosure where we saw a colony of Camponotus Parius, which are normally mistaken for its counterpart, Camponotus auriventris mentioned above. It is smaller compared to auriventris species and has a behaviour similar to it. The queen of the parius species differs from the auriventris queen in the colour of its abdomen which is a darker shade of grey without the green sheen.
Then we came into a close encounter with Odontoponera denticulata, or Toothed Ponera. These ants are solitary hunters of arthropods about its size. They are well structured with a strong pair of mandibles ("jaws"), using it to subdue its prey when hunting. They sometimes work together to bring down larger prey if needed. This species has a special way of rolling water into a ball to bring it back to the nest for hydration and feeding. They do not use the conventional method of trophallaxis (transferring of food from mouth to mouth) to feed its young, but carry bits of food near the larvae whereafter they feed themselves.
Diacamma rugosum are queenless ants which are "ruled" by a sole gamergate. Eclosed ants are ergatoid queens which becomes ordinary workers after the amputation of their gemma by the gamergate. Gemmas are special glands which enable reproduction. Only the selected gamergate retains their gemma and carry out egg laying. Diacamma workers guide each other by tandem running to and fro from the food source. When a gamergate dies, the newly eclosed ants which have their gemma will fight for gamergate status, after which they amputate the gemma from all other ants.
The following species, Anoplolepis gracilipes, is one of the most feared invasive species which form supercolonies by merging. It is infamous for its destructive impact on Christmas Island, causing rapid depletion of migrating red crab population, due to killing and eating them and using their burrows as nesting sites. They are also responsible for increased densities of scale insects of which they farm for honeydew, leading to the deaths of large forest trees.
Below are some other ant species that we saw during the visit.
At the entrance/exit, there was a whole range of ants enclosures and equipment for sale. Overall, this was a very unique experience to come up close to these little creatures and we all enjoyed it.
We had lunch at I12 Katong Mall which is just across the road. After lunch, we went for a movie called "Spies in Disguise", which is a high-flying animated comedy.
It's a great family day out before school starts in a few days time.
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