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BBC Natural World: Empire of the Desert Ants


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16 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Foogoo - Posted April 2 2015 - 8:17 AM

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I just watched this the other day and it's a great doc. Looks like the filmmaker got lucky in finding the queen. I'm curious how they managed to film the cutaway of the nest.

 

Doesn't appear available on the BBC site, but it is on torrent and these look promising:

http://blog.wildabou...the-desert-ant/

http://naturedocumen...re-desert-ants/


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Camponotus vicinus, Crematogaster 1, Crematogaster 2, Formica francoeuri, *, *, Myrmecocystus testaceus, Novomessor cockerelli, Pheidole hyatti, Pogonomyrmex californicus, Pogonomyrmex rugosus, Solenopsis invicta


#2 Offline dspdrew - Posted April 2 2015 - 9:19 AM

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This was actually filmed inside an artificial nest designed by Ray Mendez. Miles and Chris Murrow (MrILoveTheAnts) both got to visit him and see the nest for themselves during the Ant of the Southwest Course in Arizona.

 

Here's some video taken by Chris.

 



#3 Offline Foogoo - Posted April 2 2015 - 11:46 AM

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That was my initial guess, that it's an artificial nest, but what about the raids? Don't tell me those were staged...


Camponotus vicinus, Crematogaster 1, Crematogaster 2, Formica francoeuri, *, *, Myrmecocystus testaceus, Novomessor cockerelli, Pheidole hyatti, Pogonomyrmex californicus, Pogonomyrmex rugosus, Solenopsis invicta


#4 Offline Jonathan21700 - Posted April 2 2015 - 11:50 AM

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It was one of the first documentaries for ants I have seen. This is my favorite one! It just shows the way a colony begins and grows in an amazing way! It's just awesome!



#5 Offline PTAntFan - Posted June 27 2015 - 10:57 AM

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The video is sitting up on  YouTube.  I've been watching it on my Xbox.  

 


Edited by PTAntFan, June 27 2015 - 10:58 AM.

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PTAntFan----------------------------------Pogonomyrmex Californicus*****************************<p>I use the $3 Tower I made up. See it here.

#6 Offline Miles - Posted June 27 2015 - 6:56 PM

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That was my initial guess, that it's an artificial nest, but what about the raids? Don't tell me those were staged...

Yes, they were staged. I'm sorry!


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Founder & Director of The Ant Network. Ant keeper since 2009. Insect ecologist and science communicator. He/Him.


#7 Offline Miles - Posted June 27 2015 - 6:58 PM

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This was actually filmed inside an artificial nest designed by Ray Mendez.

The documentary was filmed in a series of interlocking nests (each with a separate colony) that could be changed around for different lighting and angle needs, and to make the film colony seem larger than it really was. Neat stuff!


PhD Student & NSF Graduate Research Fellow | University of Florida Dept. of Entomology & Nematology - Lucky Ant Lab 

 

Founder & Director of The Ant Network. Ant keeper since 2009. Insect ecologist and science communicator. He/Him.


#8 Offline PTAntFan - Posted June 27 2015 - 7:00 PM

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Ok, now I need to know, two thing actually, why on earth would they make stuff up and was the queens working together on the founding nest real?
PTAntFan----------------------------------Pogonomyrmex Californicus*****************************<p>I use the $3 Tower I made up. See it here.

#9 Offline Miles - Posted June 27 2015 - 7:03 PM

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Well, the raids occur in nature. It's a natural event - it's just near impossible to capture them in the wild and definitely impossible to provide an underground view of such an event. 
 

The queens working together were real queens digging a nest in the wild - though they were not those used in the nests, to my knowledge. As far as I know, they could have been the same ones.


Edited by Miles, June 27 2015 - 7:04 PM.

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Founder & Director of The Ant Network. Ant keeper since 2009. Insect ecologist and science communicator. He/Him.


#10 Offline Miles - Posted June 27 2015 - 7:05 PM

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Don't let this spoil the film! It's an excellent story and documentary, albeit a little overdramatic and misleading regarding the queen's role in the colony.


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PhD Student & NSF Graduate Research Fellow | University of Florida Dept. of Entomology & Nematology - Lucky Ant Lab 

 

Founder & Director of The Ant Network. Ant keeper since 2009. Insect ecologist and science communicator. He/Him.


#11 Offline drtrmiller - Posted June 27 2015 - 7:10 PM

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You mean queens aren't monarchs, carefully scrutinizing each individual worker's decision matrix by antennal absolute communication, ruling by pheromonal decree?

 

I haven't watched the doc yet, obviously.


Edited by drtrmiller, June 27 2015 - 7:10 PM.

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#12 Offline AntsTexas - Posted June 28 2015 - 5:00 AM

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any ant doc's i like!!  :)


Ant Queens found:

 

Solenopsis Invicta,  Solenopsis xyloni,  Brachymyrmex depilis/Sp,  Myrmecocystus Mimicus,  Pogonomyrmex barbatus,

Forelius pruinosus,  Camponotus sayi, Dorymyrmex insanus, crematogaster ashmeadi,

 

----------------------------------------

Ant Queens i have going right now:

 

camponotus sayi, solenopsis invicta, Myrmecocystus Mimicus, Forelius pruinosus

Pogonomyrmex barbatus, and some others (no i.d.)

---------------------------------------

YouTube:  AntsTexas

 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/cdockray1

 

Facebook page:  AntsTexas


#13 Offline dspdrew - Posted June 28 2015 - 6:52 AM

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"Ruled by a ruthless queen" :lol:

 

I'm a little confused about the narrative at the beginning that says Arizona's summer came to an end, because as far as I know, the rain storms that trigger most Honeypot ant mating flights actually occur at the beginning of the summer. I'm assuming they didn't feel like adding an explanation for all of that to the documentary. It does sound more dramatic the way they said it.



#14 Offline PTAntFan - Posted June 28 2015 - 7:11 AM

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I could watch docs like that with the sound turned off to be honest.  I find these creatures that fascinating to just watch.  I only turn the volume up to learn something so when I hear it's a bit misleading I'm a little turned away.  


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#15 Offline Miles - Posted June 28 2015 - 10:06 AM

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The rains come in mid to late July.

Also, Ray had little control over the narrative, but did give feedback and helped make it a little more accurate.

Edited by Miles, June 28 2015 - 10:07 AM.

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#16 Offline dspdrew - Posted June 28 2015 - 11:28 AM

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Yeah, the summer monsoon storms hit in or shortly after the first week of July every year. It's amazing how perfectly on schedule it usually is. I'm already planning my desert anting trip for this year.



#17 Offline Alza - Posted June 28 2015 - 12:14 PM

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It doesent even matter if its staged, its like a movie. As long as it is somewhat realistic, I'm down.






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