This is the largest Camponotus pennsylvanicus major I’ve ever seen maybe because this colony is so well fed and old, they’re producing some kind of extra large gigantic majors.
it’s hard to convey in a photo, but she is humongous. That’s not a queen that’s just the worker. #ants
@futurebird Wow, that is large (compared to the one at the top of the photo). Do ants keep growing as they age? (I have no idea)
@WTL
The interesting thing is this means her older sisters *decided* that she needed to be this big for some reason.
Colonies will produce different types of workers to meet varied conditions.
I suspect she is large so that she can store food. Camponotus pennsylvanicus are related to "honeypot ants" and the larger ants can hold a lot of food in their social stomach. She's like a living smoothie truck for her sisters.
You may resent your family for deciding that you had to be a dentist... but at least they didn't decide that you had to be a:
* Living water bag
* Door
* Circle Cutting Compass
* Glue Gun
* fungal filament surgeon.
* Professional egg producer
* Professional kidnapper
