18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Hunter hunted

A colony of Red Weaver Ants hunt down a black Scorpion (Heterometrus species). These weaver Ants make nests by weaving leaves together, thus the name. They forage for food on trees and forest floor and can hunt down bigger creatures with ease. This scorpion was at the wrong place at the wrong time and it took about an hour for the ants to kill it. After killing it, they liquify the solid contents of the prey and take the liquid to their nests. A couple of ants can be seen transferring the white colored liquid as other ants are busy extracting more.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2020
Date Uploaded: 11.2020
Photo Location: Badlapur (West), India
Copyright: © Prathamesh Ghadekar