JungleDragon is a nature and wildlife community for photographers, travellers and anyone who loves nature. We're genuine, free, ad-free and beautiful.

Join

False Honey Ants (Prenolepis imparis) Ants overwintering in a Scarlet Oak acorn at a dense mixed forest edge. Can you see the cutie peering out at me here?<br /> <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/106860/false_honey_ants_prenolepis_imparis.html" title="False Honey Ants (Prenolepis imparis)"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/3231/106860_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=DxVia%2FAT0g0yh84N%2BKEHNlHUyaE%3D" width="200" height="134" alt="False Honey Ants (Prenolepis imparis) Ants overwintering in a Scarlet Oak acorn at a dense mixed forest edge. <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/106859/false_honey_ants_prenolepis_sp.html False Honey Ant,Geotagged,Prenolepis imparis,United States,Winter" /></a></figure><br /> False Honey Ant,Geotagged,Prenolepis imparis,United States,Winter Click/tap to enlarge Promoted

False Honey Ants (Prenolepis imparis)

Ants overwintering in a Scarlet Oak acorn at a dense mixed forest edge. Can you see the cutie peering out at me here?

False Honey Ants (Prenolepis imparis) Ants overwintering in a Scarlet Oak acorn at a dense mixed forest edge. <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/106859/false_honey_ants_prenolepis_sp.html False Honey Ant,Geotagged,Prenolepis imparis,United States,Winter

    comments (13)

  1. View Christine Young's profile
    Christine Young
    Lion
    View Lion class
    Cool! Do you remember approximately how large the hole was? I saw something similar this past spring and assumed the hole was made by a weevil. There were no ants inside the acorn I found. Maybe mine was also inhabited by ants!?

    Probably a Weevil Exit Hole in Acorn (Quercus sp.) This hole was about 3 mm across and might have been made by a mature larva that was exiting to hibernate in the soil.<br /> <br /> Habitat: Deciduous forest Geotagged,Quercus,Spring,United States,acorn,signs of wildlife,weevil
     Posted 4 years ago, modified 4 years ago
    1. View Flown Kimmerling's profile
      Flown Kimmerling
      Lion
      View Lion class
      about the same size of yours (maybe slightly bigger), and I'm thinking it was a weevil-drilled hole. I saw some sort of larva inside, but I couldn't get a good picture due to my hand dexterity going down (it was cold). I think I've read that other animals inhabit weevil-excavated acorns? Posted 4 years ago, modified 4 years ago
      1. View Christine Young's profile
        Christine Young
        Lion
        View Lion class
        Cool. Mine was empty, but I'm sure it was well-loved at some point. Posted 4 years ago
        1. View Flown Kimmerling's profile
          Flown Kimmerling
          Lion
          View Lion class
          I've heard that empty ones are often reused! Mine was really difficult to split open! How did you open yours? Posted 4 years ago
          1. View Christine Young's profile
            Christine Young
            Lion
            View Lion class
            I don't remember -- probably with my knife. Posted 4 years ago
            1. View Christine Young's profile
              Christine Young
              Lion
              View Lion class
              Actually, there might have been tiny, white larvae in it...really tiny ones. I'll have to go back and see if I took any photos. Posted 4 years ago
              1. View Flown Kimmerling's profile
                Flown Kimmerling
                Lion
                View Lion class
                The larva I think I saw was a white/cream color. I only have a partial shot. I couldn't get the pulp(?) of the acorn to move past it and I didn't want to kill it. Posted 4 years ago
                1. View Christine Young's profile
                  Christine Young
                  Lion
                  View Lion class
                  Here are the larvae from my acorn:
                  Larvae in Acorn (Quercus sp.) Habitat: Deciduous forest Geotagged,Quercus,Spring,United States,acorn,larva
                   Posted 4 years ago
                  1. View Flown Kimmerling's profile
                    Flown Kimmerling
                    Lion
                    View Lion class
                    OHHH! really neat! Unlike the one I (possibly) saw though. Posted 4 years ago
                  2. View Pudding4brains's profile
                    Pudding4brains
                    Lion
                    View Lion class
                    Those look like Diptera to me. The larva of Curculio & co. that develop in acorns are creamy white with a orange/brown head (no legs!).
                    The holes in your acorns (both) would be _exit_ holes of the larva (usually a single larva in one acorn) as it chews its way out to exit and dig into the earth for pupating. I only have very old series of those larvae ... :-/
                    P.S. @Lisa: LOVE that shot with the little ant peeking out, only visible after zooming in and in and in ... :o)                     Posted 4 years ago, modified 4 years ago
                    1. View Pudding4brains's profile
                      Pudding4brains
                      Lion
                      View Lion class
                      P.P.S. Ahw ... silly me ... explaining what the larvae look like *rolleyes* :
                      Acorn Weevil Larva - Curculio glandium These weevils are very common in my area, and so many acorns are infested with the larvae.<br /> <br /> Female weevils lay their eggs in an acorn via a long ovipositor. The hole is healed by the plant, thus sealing the hole and protecting the weevil eggs from parasites. Upon hatching, the larvae eat the fruit. They are freeze avoidant and can survive the cold winter.. Unfortunately, they can cause a lot of damage to the populations of acorn-bearing trees since they inhibit seed germination.<br /> <br /> Habitat: Living in an acorn that my son decided to use as a baseball. The acorn cracked open and revealed the larva, which he thought looked like butter, lol.<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/85520/acorn_weevil_larva_-_curculio_glandium.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/85519/acorn_weevil_larva_-_curculio_glandium.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/85518/acorn_weevil_larva_-_curculio_glandium.html Acorn weevil,Curculio,Curculio glandium,Fall,Geotagged,United States,acorn weevil,acorn weevil larva,beetle,beetle larva,grub,larva,weevil,weevil larva
                       Posted 4 years ago
                      1. View Christine Young's profile
                        Christine Young
                        Lion
                        View Lion class
                        Hehe, that's okay! I didn't consider Diptera for the tiny white ones, so thanks for that tip. There were a whole bunch of them hanging out between the acorn and the cupule. I wish I had taken the time to get better photos of them. Posted 4 years ago
                        1. View Flown Kimmerling's profile
                          Flown Kimmerling
                          Lion
                          View Lion class
                          Gross but cool :D Posted 4 years ago

Sign in or Join in order to comment.

The Prenolepis imparis

''Prenolepis imparis'', commonly known as the winter ant, false honey ant, or false honeypot ant, is a species of ant in the genus ''Prenolepis''. The species is found in North America, from Canada to Mexico, nesting deep within the ground. Unusual among ants, ''Prenolepis imparis'' prefers lower temperatures, including near freezing, and is only active outside the nest during winter and early spring. ''Prenolepis imparis'' enters a hibernation-like state called aestivation during the summer.
.. more

Info 5 0
Similar species: Wasps, Bees, Sawflies And Ants
Species identified by Flown Kimmerling
View Flown Kimmerling's profile

By Flown Kimmerling

All rights reserved
Uploaded Jan 6, 2021. Captured Jan 3, 2021 14:40 in 227 Oakman Rd NE, Oakman, GA 30732, USA.
country flag of United States of America Explore United States of America 39,925 9,640 8
  • Canon EOS 6D Mark II
  • f/22.0
  • 1/128s
  • ISO200
  • 100mm
Captured in the winter. More winter photos.

This photo also appears in

Discover more photo collections