Phalagorn: Expedition Thailand 2008-2009 (20. Jul 2011 09:14)

Here are some photographs of ants from our expeditions in Thailand 2008-2009.

Oecophylla smaragdina - Wiset Chai Chan, Ang Thong Province, Thailand. Photographed at night.
These ants weave the leaves together and build their nests in trees.
http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z388/phala2/08.jpg

Oecophylla smaragdina - Wiset Chai Chan, Ang Thong Province, Thailand. Photographed during the day..
http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z388/phala2/1-27.jpg

Oecophylla smaragdina - Erawan National Park, Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand.
Workers who are out walking on a concrete bench at a bus stop.
http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z388/phala2/2-27.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z388/phala2/3-24.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z388/phala2/5-20.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z388/phala2/1-28.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z388/phala2/6-17.jpg

It hurts like hell to get bitten by these ants!, I've been bitten several times. :x

Sahal: Re: Expedition Thailand 2008-2009 (20. Jul 2011 11:37)

sawasdee krub

thanks for the nice photos!
Oecophylla smaragdina are wonderfull, funny, snappy beasts... and very delicious :D
Thai People love Mot Daeng ( -> Ant Red) for the fresh sour tast. The Imagines are used to flavor the fish and meat sure, like we use Lemmon and Citrus, the brood are cooked as spicy soup "Gaeng kai mot daeng" or ant egg* salad "Yum kai mot daeng". alate young queens are a delicious fresh Salad for 20 Bath (~ 40Cent)!
Just 3 days ago i eat fish flavored with O. smaragdina Imagines, i think i eat 1500EUR in european shop rate:D

http://blog.tourismthailand.org/EugeneTang/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/red-ant-eggs.jpg
"Stolen @ blog.tourismthailand.org/EugeneTang"

* the so called "eggs" (Kai) are larvae and mostly puppae, looks like the european "Ameiseneier"

Phalagorn: Re: Expedition Thailand 2008-2009 (20. Jul 2011 12:42)

sawasdee krub

thanks for the nice photos!
Oecophylla smaragdina are wonderfull, funny, snappy beasts... and very delicious :D
Thai People love Mot Daeng ( -> Ant Red) for the fresh sour tast. The Imagines are used to flavor the fish and meat sure, like we use Lemmon and Citrus, the brood are cooked as spicy soup "Gaeng kai mot daeng" or ant egg* salad "Yum kai mot daeng". alate young queens are a delicious fresh Salad for 20 Bath (~ 40Cent)!
Just 3 days ago i eat fish flavored with O. smaragdina Imagines, i think i eat 1500EUR in european shop rate:D

http://blog.tourismthailand.org/EugeneTang/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/red-ant-eggs.jpg
"Stolen @ blog.tourismthailand.org/EugeneTang"

* the so called "eggs" (Kai) are larvae and mostly puppae, looks like the european "Ameiseneier"

Sawadee kap! :D

Thank you, or Khop khun khap.
I guess you are from Thailand (but live in germany?), according to the Thai phrases in the post you wrote.
I myself am half Swedish/Thai, I am living in Sweden and has traveled to Thailand several times.

When you mentioned about the red ants in your food, now I remember that I also have eaten this type of food when I was a child.

Sahal: Re: Expedition Thailand 2008-2009 (20. Jul 2011 13:58)

สวัสดีครับ
คับ? Bangkok?
ผมเป็นฝรั่งอาศัยอยู่ที่ประเทศไทย 555+

Phalagorn: Re: Expedition Thailand 2008-2009 (20. Jul 2011 17:01)

สวัสดีครับ
คับ? Bangkok?
ผมเป็นฝรั่งอาศัยอยู่ที่ประเทศไทย 555+

Unfortunately, I can not read Thai, which is a shame that I never learned it as a child. But I can speak Thai well.

Phalagorn: Re: Expedition Thailand 2008-2009 (20. Jul 2011 17:03)

Here are some more pictures when I was working extra as a photographer and article writer when we visited Ant Museum, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand. There I watched the holotypes and other type specimens of Thailand's all described ant species, but also ants from other parts of the world were in their collections.

Ant Museum, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand

National research council
http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z388/phala2/1-29.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z388/phala2/2-28.jpg

Huge collection of different species of ants.
http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z388/phala2/4-22.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z388/phala2/3-25.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z388/phala2/5-21.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z388/phala2/6-18.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z388/phala2/7-15.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z388/phala2/8-12.jpg

Pi.Ag3: Re: Expedition Thailand 2008-2009 (20. Jul 2011 17:22)

Thanks for those really interesting pictures. Last year I also made holidays in Thailand, just an amazing ant fauna. Unfortunately I was not able to visit the ant museum.

Greetings, Phil

Phalagorn: Re: Expedition Thailand 2008-2009 (21. Jul 2011 13:11)

I found this ant queen (probably a Camponotus sp. ) in the house, crawling on the floor when we were eating in Wiset Chai Chan, Ang Thong Province, Thailand.

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z388/phala2/1-30.jpg

Pi.Ag3: Re: Expedition Thailand 2008-2009 (21. Jul 2011 14:25)

Nice find. It's not a Camponotus, look at the petiole - it's a Myrmicine.

Greetings, Phil

Phalagorn: Re: Expedition Thailand 2008-2009 (21. Jul 2011 14:58)

Nice find. It's not a Camponotus, look at the petiole - it's a Myrmicine.

Greetings, Phil

Thank you very much, I really appreciate all the help. :D