4 replies to this topic

[AntInSpaceFilms]

Hello,

I am currently based in and have been collecting various ant specimens. While this is a personal hobby, it also serves as a source of inspiration for my artistic creations. I am particularly fascinated by the superorganism characteristics of ant colonies, and I find army ants especially compelling as they exemplify these traits in the most direct and remarkable way.

 

At present, I own specimens of E. burchellii and E. hamatum workers, soldiers, and males, collected through both personal fieldwork and purchases. However, acquiring a queen ant presents an entirely different challenge. Collecting a queen typically leads to the collapse of the entire colony, making the act highly destructive and unethical.

 

That said, if there were a way to obtain an already preserved queen specimen—through ethical and legal means—I would be very interested. Unfortunately, no specimen dealers or even platforms like eBay seem to offer them.

 

In the end, is it simply an unattainable specimen?

Edited by AntInSpaceFilms, April 23 2025 - 12:13 AM.

[IdioticMouse26]

Hi, I live in South Korea and by no means am I a professional, but I might be able to provide feedback.

 

As far as I know, you could not bring an army ant queen to Korea, as it is not native to the country. Also, keeping army ants is extremely difficult due to their nomadic lifestyle, espically E. burchellii, since their colony tends to grow extremely big(but I feel like you already know this). I highly doubt any countries that the ants aren't native to would give permission to keep them due to the species's highly destructive nature. 

So, yes, I do think they are a unattainable speciemen. I totally know how you feel though. My dream ant colony was Carebara diversa, asian maraudar ants, but I have come to terms with the fact that I probably will never be able to keep them.

 

By the way, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of artistic creations do you make? It's really cool that you use ants as inspiration.

[ReignofRage]

From my understanding, many of the infrequently collected Dorylinae gynes end up in museum collections or in the private collection of the collector because of the rarity. A few long-time entomologists that I have worked with have displayed disdain about the private collection of these gynes on the basis that army/legionary ants do not reproduce quickly, the taking of a queen eliminates the entire colony from the wild, and there is not much benefit to the collection of them if it will not be a public resource -- one of these entomologists equated it to trophy hunting of exotic animals. Your best bet of procuring an Eciton gyne is to post "looking for" posts across numerous forums in hopes that one of the few people who possess one is willing to sell/give you one. Local laws to where the specimen is collected and your own local laws is something you would have to look into.

[AntInSpaceFilms]

Hi, I live in South Korea and by no means am I a professional, but I might be able to provide feedback.

 

As far as I know, you could not bring an army ant queen to Korea, as it is not native to the country. Also, keeping army ants is extremely difficult due to their nomadic lifestyle, espically E. burchellii, since their colony tends to grow extremely big(but I feel like you already know this). I highly doubt any countries that the ants aren't native to would give permission to keep them due to the species's highly destructive nature. 

So, yes, I do think they are a unattainable speciemen. I totally know how you feel though. My dream ant colony was Carebara diversa, asian maraudar ants, but I have come to terms with the fact that I probably will never be able to keep them.

 

By the way, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of artistic creations do you make? It's really cool that you use ants as inspiration.

 

Thank you for asking. I'm a filmmaker, and the worldbuilding in my work is based on the idea of interdependence among all forms of existence, and the concept of the superorganism as a collective entity.

 

For example, ants are not individuals in the usual sense, but rather function like cells within a larger body—the colony. One could say that an ant does not truly "die" as long as the colony to which it belongs continues to exist.

 

This idea extends beyond ant society and applies to the universe itself. Human consciousness tends to perceive itself as separate from the world, but in truth, we are entirely dependent on, and integrated into, the larger living system of the universe. I find this deeply fascinating.

 

And just to clarify—I’m not looking for live army ants, but rather preserved specimens.

Thank you again!

[AntInSpaceFilms]

From my understanding, many of the infrequently collected Dorylinae gynes end up in museum collections or in the private collection of the collector because of the rarity. A few long-time entomologists that I have worked with have displayed disdain about the private collection of these gynes on the basis that army/legionary ants do not reproduce quickly, the taking of a queen eliminates the entire colony from the wild, and there is not much benefit to the collection of them if it will not be a public resource -- one of these entomologists equated it to trophy hunting of exotic animals. Your best bet of procuring an Eciton gyne is to post "looking for" posts across numerous forums in hopes that one of the few people who possess one is willing to sell/give you one. Local laws to where the specimen is collected and your own local laws is something you would have to look into.

 

Thank you for your thoughtful response. I’ll try to remain patient and continue searching for these specimens, hoping that the right opportunity will come in time. As you mentioned, I won’t take the ethical or legal aspects lightly.