Jungle insect shows amazing balance on one leg

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Talent: It's a safe bet that if this was an audition, this ant is through to the next round


It's like an audition for Insect's Got Talent - marvel at the amazing photograph of a fire ant performing a break-dancing move.

Robertus Agung Sudiatmoko captured the pose when a trail of fire ants passed near him in the small village of Cibinong, Indonesia.

He took lots of incredible snaps, but the most spectacular was undoubtedly the dancing ant, which unexpectedly hoisted itself up onto one of its right-hand legs for a staggering 30 seconds.


In another of Robertus' shots, one ant stands on top of a mini mountain, crossing his arms in prayer.

And just like the infamous biblical scene in which Moses receives the Ten Commandments from God, rays of light shoot from the sky, illuminating the tiny praying ant.

Another shows the animal’s super-human strength as it lifts a gigantic leaf - that measures more than 10 times its height - above its head, which is easily carried along on the ant’s journey.

Astonishingly, these pictures were Robertus’s very first attempt at close-up photography.

Robertus, who lives in Jakarta, said: ‘I only started doing macro shots in September, after saving up for the equipment - but I wanted to capture the best shots of the ant that I possibly could.

‘Then suddenly, when I least expected it, the ant just lifted itself on to its leg in a break dancing pose.

‘I've never ever break danced myself but instantly it reminded me of that.
‘I was really happy when I looked back through my shots to see the ant dancing as I was worried I had missed it.

‘For my first go it was a good shot - it will be hard to better that.’


On a wing and a prayer: This ant seems to have found religion


He added: ‘I took the pictures when a group of us got together hunting for good macro photo opportunities.

‘I was really desperate to get a good first shot so stood out in a rain storm waiting for the ants to come back out once the sun reappeared.’

Robertus, 29, who captured the astonishing images on his trusty Canon 40D with a 100mm macro lens attached, added: ‘I like ants because they are so independent - living and working together.

‘Ants are just like humans in that they are very organised and all go to work.

‘In larger colonies the sterile ringless females form groups of workers, soldiers or other specialised groups just like us.

‘They are simply fascinating.’


Leaf it out: Ants can easily carry many times their own weight


Robertus has shown the fire ant in their possible light, but rile them and you’d very sorry. They possess a fearsome sting that victims have likened to being burnt by fire – hence their name.

What’s more, the fire ant uses its pincers to lock itself onto its prey so it can inflict the maximum number of stings.

Each fire ant nest normally contains several hundred thousand insects and sometimes multiple queens.

The U.S spends a staggering $5million a year combating fire ants and treating people they’ve stung.


source :dailymail