In "Adventures Among Ants" Dr. Mark Moffett takes us once again on a well-written thoughtful trek, a globe-trotting photo safari in search of some of the world's most amazing societies, the superorganisms we know simply as ants. Actually, I count this as Mark's finest book to date, a tour-de-force of myrmecology, natural history, cutting edge science and breathtaking macro photography. I won't call this photojournalism, it's much more, and Mark is a fine naturalist and talented nature writer. The anecdotes and wry humor are reminiscent of Howard Ensign Evans' "Life on a Little Known Planet." Mark should know, he's swung from pulleys and ropes at dizzying rainforest heights, as well as slugging it out in the tangled weedy itchy undergrowth of rainforest edges and roadsides on all the continents. Thanks to his photographic magic, we also have at least a dozen profusely illustrated feature articles in the pages of National Geographic magazine.
Like Holldobler and Wilson before him, Mark puts a great deal of effort into sorting out ant societies, figuring out how stimuli like environmental scents wafting by or ant pheromones create a cascade of actions, but individualistic and holistic. Emergent behaviors result as with other aculeates (wasps, bees, ants), as Mark wryly puts it "the perfect swarm", that "Ants, in a sense, are their colonies." Although I thoroughly enjoyed Mark's masterful storytelling, incredible photos and accounts of the life histories and traits of signature ants (leafcutting mushroom farmers, honey-makers, slavers and raiders), the book really shines in something new. At least three new perspectives of looking at ant behavior:
1) The Ant As An Individual (do they have personalities, are individuals unique). Mark seems to think so.
2) The Ant Colony As A Society (chemical signals, commonalities between insect and human societies). Mark also points out how
ant societies perform better than ours. Lack of centralized control and redundant actions allow for fast responses local
situations, even when individuals do the wrong thing, make errors or die.
3) The Ant Colony As An Organism ("superorganism"). Ant colonies acting like individuals, From the Greek "body politic" the idea of
the superorganism (sensu E.O. Wilson) was born. Mark tells a tale of differences in temperment between marauder ant societies,
some more "hardworking" than others. Ant colonies can be likened to cells in the human body.
4) The Ant Colony As A Mind. Mark wonders if mobile ants and their colonial way of life offer a special advantage. He asks if
mobility give a bunch of ants an advantage over say, the collective neurons in a brain? Think of swarm bots, or "boids" and other
self-organizing flocking behavior algorithms. But, are ants superlative at processing data, or is mobility in this case a drawback?
Although a melittologist (a scientist who studies all bees, not honey bees alone) I'm fascinated by the parallels between ant societies and those of the stingless bees, true honey bees, bumble bees, or social halictids. Mark has got me thinking, planning my own observations and next experiments to try.
I was privileged to accompany Mark, along with David Roubik of STRI, to Panama this January, bee and flower-wrangling for an upcoming National Geographic feature article on pollinators. It was great fun, and we saw some cool ants along the way, like the huge mounds of Atta, taking out the trash, and with minim workers riding shotgun atop the parasol-like leaves that will compost their fungus gardens. Fortunately, nobody was envenomated by a bullet ant. And, what is with that talent for the quintessential macro shot. Case in point, we each fired our strobes at speedy Tetragonisca angustula (the so-called fairy bees) exiting their nests. They flew out of their entrance tubes quickly and came back home even faster. No putting on the air brakes, no time to focus on a bee. In one 60 minute period, I probably had 400+ digital images stashed safely on the digital CF card. Reviewing them later in my room, I had maybe 5 keepers, Mark's take was much higher. And Mark, I may just turn in my prized 105mm macro lens for that super sharp 60mm and a pile of extension rings. Not so sure about those funky diffusers though. Was that a piece of artist Mylar, or something the milk came in? No matter. Thanks for a thrilling, lively scientific romp through the world of ants. Keep up the great work!
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Not that happy with the outcome
The seller claimed that this book was in a very good shape, however, the cover of the book didn't look that great at all, and when opening, it has this particular strong smell to it. I regret buying it used, next time will definitely purchase a new one.
Top reviews from other countries
Peter
The most spectacular photos ever!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 23, 2021
Maingeot Manuel
De la vulgarisation de très très haut vol!
Reviewed in France on August 17, 2010
