Ants at the top of the Empire State Building

[DrDeth]

@Tom_Tildrum

Carried, or carrying? Perhaps the observation deck installed a rubber tree plant.

Whoops there goes another…

[ticker]

There were crickets on the 82nd floor viewing balcony when I first visited the ESB in 1974.

When I had a 40th floor hotel room in Chicago the outside of the windows was home to several large spiders.

[kayaker]

@panache45

I’ve seen them during the past 50 years.

Maybe it’s time to come down?

[panache45]

@kayaker

Maybe it’s time to come down?

Who . . . me or THEM!?

[Lucas_Jackson]

Thanks, Colibri.

[simster]

@DrDeth

Whoops there goes another…

I think an ant at the top of the empire state building is the very definition of an ant with high hopes.

[jasg]

@Boyo_Jim

Are they army ants? Then everyone in the building is in danger!

Probably not Carpenter Ants - are there IronWorker Ants ?

[bienville]

My Aunt once visited the Empire State Building.

[panache45]

@bienville

My Aunt once visited the Empire State Building.

Then ask her whether she arrived by air, or was a stowaway in a potted plant.

[N9IWP]

@Colibri

There are ants everywhere.

Even Antarcitca? IIRC the only native insect is a wingless fly on the peninsula.
There may be ants inside research stations though.

Looks like some islands don’t have native ants either.

Plus I don’t think there are underwater ants…

Brian

[running_coach]

@N9IWP

Even Antarcitca? IIRC the only native insect is a wingless fly on the peninsula.
There may be ants inside research stations though.

Looks like some islands don’t have native ants either.

Plus I don’t think there are underwater ants…

Brian

Scientists discover swimming ants

North Queensland scientists have discovered a new type of ant, believed to be the only species that can live, swim and navigate under water.

The ants nest in submerged mangroves and survive by hiding in air pockets and then swimming to the surface.

[Colibri]

@N9IWP

Even Antarcitca? IIRC the only native insect is a wingless fly on the peninsula.
There may be ants inside research stations though.

Looks like some islands don’t have native ants either.

Plus I don’t think there are underwater ants…

Brian

If we’re being hyper-literal (as I should have expected someone would be ;)), there are no ants on the Moon or Sun, either, now that you bring it up.

[astorian]

Decades ago, when I lived in New York, Allan Colmes was a morning DJ on WABC radio, and he did a bit where he interviewed the ESB’s exterminator. The exterminator acknowledged they had ants and many other bugs on the top floor. When Colmes pressed for an explanation, the guy just laughed and said the ants probably liked having a nice view of New Jersey.

[duncs]

@Colibri

If we’re being hyper-literal (as I should have expected someone would be ;)), there are no ants on the Moon or Sun, either, now that you bring it up.

How do you know? Have you ever been there to check?

[cmkeller]

Ballooning

[Donnerwetter]

Maybe they took the elevator. That’s what I would do.

[Colibri]

@Donnerwetter

Maybe they took the elevator. That’s what I would do.

They can’t reach the button.

[JcWoman]

@Colibri

Yes. She will lay eggs that will hatch into workers that will be the foundation of the colony. The first workers will go out and forage for food, and care for the next cohort of larvae that will become the next group of workers. The queen will lay many thousands of eggs during her life to produce the colony’s workers.

The workers, which are all female, are produced from eggs fertilized by the sperm that the queen obtained on her nuptial flight by mating with one or more probably several males. She will retain the sperm from that initial mating for her entire life, which may be decades.

The colony reproduces by producing new winged males and females. Queens are produced by feeding larvae a special diet. Males are produced from unfertilized eggs. The winged males and females will take off on a nuptial flight during which mating takes place. A fertilized queen will land, shed her wings, make a nest, lay some eggs, and thus start a new colony.

Wait… I don’t doubt you, but this sounds pretty crazy, like ants have a completely different biology than the rest of us. How are male ants hatched from unfertilized eggs?

[kayaker]

@JcWoman

Wait… I don’t doubt you, but this sounds pretty crazy, like ants have a completely different biology than the rest of us. How are male ants hatched from unfertilized eggs?

Parthenogenesis, I believe.

[DrFidelius]

Mammals have two sex chromosomes and the sex of the offspring is determined by whether the father donates an X or Y.

Ants (and wasps and bees) have two sex chromosomes as well, but the sex of the offspring is determined by whether the second chromosome is present art all. With two chromosomes the offspring is female, but with only one the missing information means the larva develops as male.