WOOD ANTSIngo Arndt

Ants are a model of evolutionary success. Hardly any other insect is so numerous and so widespread. They already existed at the time of the dinosaurs. Over millions of years, countless ant species have evolved, of which around 14,000 are described today. These include the red wood ants that are mound-building ants and live mainly in forests. A colony of red wood ants can consist of several million animals. Their complex, social way of life is typical of social insects. Scientists have been able to unravel many secrets of these ants, but not all behavioural patterns observed in red wood ant colonies are yet understood.

With his photographs, wildlife photographer Ingo Arndt shows for the first time an almost complete documentation of the life of the red wood ant. In unprecedented close-ups, he makes visible what is invisible to the naked human eye. Red wood ants play an indispensable role in the forest ecosystem. They help to preserve the habitat that is so important to us humans.