Myrmidons

I have obviously let one of the compost bins get too dry; it is now the home of a vast civilisation of ants, I think they're Lasius niger, but don't quote me on that.

When I lifted the lid to see how the composting wa going, there was a mad panic in the colony: eggs and pupae were moved out of sight in the blink of an eye. Several members of the mating swarm, not yet quite ready to fly, were caught in the open, so I tried to get some shots. Wow, those girls are fast! Also, black against the black plastic, so apologies for the quality.

I think that this is one of the daughter queens of the colony, about to fly in a few days to try to found her own civilisation. Her sisters are the worker ants, dancing attendance around her and tending to her every need. I assume the smaller winged creature is one of the males, about to fulfill his destiny. They eat, fly, mate and die. A short llife, but a happy one ;)