Ants in zoos

[ThylacineAlive]

Ants I have seen in zoos:
-Acromyrmex ambiguus (Krefeld Zoo)
-Atta cephalotes (Bristol Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Chester Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Colchester Zoo, Cotswold Wildlife Park, Edinburgh Zoo, Paignton Zoo, Reaseheath College Zoo, Rodbaston Animal Zone, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Tropical World Leeds, Wrocław Zoological Garden, ZSL London Zoo)
-Atta texana (Dallas Zoo, Houston Zoo)
-Formica rufa (Wildwood Discovery Park)
-Myrmecocystus mendax (Cincinnati Zoo)*
-Novomessor cockerelli (Philadelphia Zoo)
-Oecophylla smaragdina (ZSL London Zoo)*
-Paraponera clavata (Cincinnati Zoo)*
-Pheidole rhea (Cincinnati Zoo)*
-Pogonomyrmex maricopa (Living Desert Zoo)
-Polyrhachis dives (Berlin Zoo)
-Solenopsis invicta (Dallas Zoo)
-Dasymutilla occidentalis (Fort Worth Zoo)

*Species that probably aren't kept by that collection anymore.

~Thylo

 

[ronnienl]

Ok, now this is a thing! In this image New ant exhibit | ZooChat (the only image about ants in the Plzen Zoo gallery, by the way; I guess even zoochatters are slightly bored by ants) description by @ronnienl, it's stated "Containing 15 different kinds of ant species, as well as ant plants". Did I misread and it's 15 for both ants and plants species or just ants alone?

They had 15 different species of ants at the moment I was there. These are now replaced by exhibits containing reptiles and amphibians. I remember a sign at one of the exhibits stating that it contained the smallest ant species in the world. Unless you have a very good macro lens, which I sure didn't, photography of these ants can be quite difficult ;p

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Ok, now this is a thing! In this image New ant exhibit | ZooChat (the only image about ants in the Plzen Zoo gallery, by the way; I guess even zoochatters are slightly bored by ants) description by @ronnienl, it's stated "Containing 15 different kinds of ant species, as well as ant plants". Did I misread and it's 15 for both ants and plants species or just ants alone?

As @ronnienl said, this has been replaced by a series of terrariums housing various Malagasy (and surrounding Indian Ocean) reptiles and amphibians, many of which can only be seen at one or two other zoos if at all. I really love the current exhibition, but I would have also loved to have seen the ant display.

~Thylo

 

[birdsandbats]

They had 15 different species of ants at the moment I was there. These are now replaced by exhibits containing reptiles and amphibians. I remember a sign at one of the exhibits stating that it contained the smallest ant species in the world. Unless you have a very good macro lens, which I sure didn't, photography of these ants can be quite difficult ;p

Depending on who you ask, the smallest ant species is either Solenopsis molesta or Monomorium pharaonis.

 

[Jurek7]

In places like La Selva, Costa Rica, leafcutter ants Atta build actual roads. They are broad paths cleared of leaves and all debris, strikingly different from the surrounding rainforest floor, and full of ants moving in both directions. They often lead along human paths and can go for 100s of meters. Unfortunately, no zoo which I know allows ants to build one - most zoos are content to let ants move in plastic ubes.

 

[Terry Thomas]

In 1979, at Mugga Lane Zoo, ACT, a meat ant mound was fenced off and used as an exhibit in the ecology display. Was still part of the display ten years later.

 

[FunkyGibbon]

In places like La Selva, Costa Rica, leafcutter ants Atta build actual roads. They are broad paths cleared of leaves and all debris, strikingly different from the surrounding rainforest floor, and full of ants moving in both directions. They often lead along human paths and can go for 100s of meters. Unfortunately, no zoo which I know allows ants to build one - most zoos are content to let ants move in plastic ubes.

Most UK zoos at least use hemp ropes to join different sections.

 

[Batto]

What about termites?

Tierpark Bern Dählhölzli keeps Hodotermes mossambicus.

 

[AWP]

What about termites?

Artis kept Macrotermes bellicosus for a while, but I don't remember seeing termites at my last visit tot the Insect House.

Artis krijgt 40.000 termieten (2006)
AMSTERDAM (ANP) - Dierentuin Artis in Amsterdam heeft er sinds gisteren 40.000 termieten bij. De termieten zijn met heuvel en al vanuit de dierentuin in Basel naar Artis overgebracht. Als enige dierentuin in Nederland heeft Artis nu een termietenheuvel binnen de hekken. De heuvel met de insecten weegt ruim 200 kilo en is 90 centimeter hoog. In de toekomst wordt de heuvel nog veel groter en zullen er ook in snel tempo termieten bijkomen. Na jaren arbeid van de beestjes kan een nest 10 meter hoog worden. Met aarde, plantenresten en uitgekauwd hout bouwen de termieten het nest centimeter voor centimeter op.

For the non-Dutch: the more or less 40.000 termites came from Basel in 2006 in a mound of 90 cm high and with a weight of 200 kg.

 

[FunkyGibbon]

Now that I think about it Hluboka had a really excellent Ant Room last summer, which I think was only a temporary exhibit.

I found the photos from that trip and these were the species on display:

Myrmecia desertorum
Camponotus fulvopilosus
Atta sexdens
Dinomyrmex gigas
Oecophylla smaragdina

Also, outside in the main zoo a red wood ant nest was signed.

Formica rufa

 

[Zhao yun]

There was a zoo in Singapore called the Singapore Ant museum. Although it was branded as a museum, It was a person's private collection of ants that was open to the public. Although the collection, which spanned over 23 species native to Singapore, was impressive, the signage and decor were all over the place and it wasn't too attractive.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/vulcanpost.com/767447/the-ant-museum-singapore/amp/

 

[Julio C Castro]

San Diego has Honeypot Ants and Desert Carpenter Ants in their Spineless Marvels invertebrate house, in the lower level. They do maintain a large colony of Leafcutter Ants as well.

 

[Dassie rat]

London Zoo used to have a nest of red wood ants (Formica rufa) in the old Insect House: this species is native to the UK. .

This was the first exhibit on the left side and included a record player with the tune 'Teddy Bears' Picnic', a picnic and at least one teddy bear. Red wood ants were collected from Burnham Beeches in Buckinghamshire

 

[CarnotaurusSastrei]

The exhibit was empty during my last visit at the end of December. Not sure if it temporary or permanent. I hope temporary.

Prior to the closure of the Amazon Rising gallery as part of the Shedd's ongoing renovations, I believe that the former bullet ant exhibit was being used for some species of caecilian

 

[birdsandbats]

Prior to the closure of the Amazon Rising gallery as part of the Shedd's ongoing renovations, I believe that the former bullet ant exhibit was being used for some species of caecilian

It's actually being used for a species of cockroach now.

 

[bongorob]

Chester used to have Golden Weaver Ants. They couldn't design an exhibit which kept them from getting out.

 

[PossumRoach]

Zoo Wassestern had Peter’s long-legged sugar ant in display.