April 25, 2008
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The Pacific Invasion Ants. See close-up of Argentine ant.
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DAVIS—They want ants to invade your homes and businesses.
Not to forage in your kitchen, but to decorate your walls.
The Bohart Museum of Entomology, University of California, Davis, has just published a color poster, “Pacific Invasive Ants,” featuring auto-montage images of the heads of 12 common invasive ants.
“Some of the images look like paintings,” said Fran Keller, a graduate student in the Department of Entomology who designed the poster. “And when you look at the actual size of the ants as a comparison, it is just amazing how small and diverse they really are.”
The images are primarily the work of ant specialist Eli Sarnat, a graduate student in Phil Ward’s laboratory, UC Davis Department of Entomology. Sarnat is researching the systematics, biogeography and conservation of ants in Fiji for his doctoral dissertation.
The ants include the Argentine ant, native to South America and now found throughout most of the world’s Mediterranean climates. “The Argentine ant—we see it in our kitchens and gardens here in Davis and we are directly impacted by this invasive species,” Keller said.
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Eli Sarnat |
Other invasive ants on the poster include fire, ghost, Singapore, pharaoh, and bigheaded ants, and two known simply as the “yellow crazy ant” and the “black crazy ant.”
“Some of us have had ant farms in our lives and we have watched ants carry sticks or leaves or crumbs many times their size but many of us have never really thought about the diversity of ants,” she said. “This poster brings a face to some of these invasive ants.”
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Fran Keller |
Sarnat said invasive ants are a “major threat to native biodiversity, food security and quality of life in the Pacific.” On his recent research trip to Fiji, he distributed some of the Bohart Museum posters to villagers, conservation organizations and government offices to help raise awareness of the impact of ants.
The poster triples as an art work, educational tool and a conversation piece, Keller said. “Eli's work in Fiji is an excellent example of how we can make taxonomy fun and have a positive and broader impact through outreach education,” she said. “The poster is not just a tool but also a bit of art to be used to educate others about the incredible diversity of insects and how they can or do impact our lives.”
The ant poster is the fourth insect poster that the Bohart Museum has created in recent years. The others available are the California State Insect (dogface butterfly), Dragonflies of California and Butterflies of Central California. Measuring 18x24 inches, the ant poster sells for $18 laminated and $15 non-laminated. It’s available at the Bohart Museum on campus, 1124 Academic Surge, (530) 752-0493, or from the museum Web site. Proceeds benefit the Bohart Museum’s outreach programs.
Further information on Sarnat’s work is on his Web site. More information on ants can be found on The Ant Web.
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--Kathy Keatley Garvey
Communications specialist
UC Davis Department of Entomology
(530) 754-6894
