LEAFCUTTER ANTS WORKING!

I just got photos of Leafcutter ants working at today morning! I found a cranny in the corner of my porch, surrounded by many leaves. You can see the "door" of their nest inside the ground and the Leafcutter ants carrying green leaves to indoors!
Click to enlarge and view details.

Leafcutter ants loves this shrubs, named Duranta repens 'Aurea', which common name is golden dewdrop, "pingo de ouro" in Portuguese.

You can see the damage on the bare branch's shrubs!

Photos by Sonia A. Mascaro

Liliana Lago

Liliana Lago es una actriz de nacionalidad Mexicana que se hizo conocida por ser “La Nacha Plus” pero ahora Liliana no quiere que la llamen así, ya que incursionara como cantante de genero grupero. Liliana estudio actuación y ciencias de la comunicación pero sin duda es mucho mas recordada por su belleza o no.
Fotos Liliana Lago.

Car Insurance For Women Can Work Out Cheaper

Car insurance for women can work out a lot cheaper and this can be especially so if you go with a specialist broker and allow them to make comparisons with some of the top UK insurance providers. By doing so it means that you will get a through search made on your behalf and be assured of getting the best deal possible.

While many insurance providers have now turned to offering cheaper insurance for lady drivers because they were claimed to have been better drivers than men, this was still hotly contested. However in October 2001 women drivers did indeed win the right to be called better motorists after the Advertising Standards Agency were called in after complaints regarding the advertising of women's car insurance on TV. The ASA regulate advertising and investigated claims of women actually being the better driver. Following the investigation it was proved that women were overall better drivers than their male counterparts and the regulating body ruled that the claims were accurate and fair.

From here women's specialist car insurance firms sprang up even more and went from strength to strength, although it has to be said that the reason women were deemed as being better drivers was based on the fact that women make far fewer claims, drive smaller more sedate cars and are seen as more careful drivers. Men on the other hand were proven in a study to take more risks than women drivers, drive faster and break the law more often.

It is essential when looking for cheap car insurance for women that you do get the cover you need, when it comes to taking out insurance there are three main types, fully comprehensive which is the dearest type of cover, third party fire and theft and third party only which is the cheapest type of cover. If you need information on which type of car insurance would be most suitable for your needs then again the specialist broker's website will have all the information needed for you to be able to make the right choice. A good specialist broker's website will offer articles, tips and advice on all aspects of car insurance including safety tips for women drivers along with additional insurance that could be beneficial to women drivers.

However whether women drivers do make the better drivers is still going to be considered for some time and the argument will continue, the fact is that women drivers can get the better deals when it comes to taking out car insurance for women.

Along with getting cheaper premiums for the cover there are many extras which can be used as an enticement to take out the cover, handbag and breakdown cover are two of the most common used. If you want the cheapest deals and premiums on lady drivers then do not look around for yourself but take the advice and experience that a specialist broker can offer and allow them to shop around on your behalf and deliver quotes to you.

LEAFCUTTER ANTS

Atualizei este post para participar do Ecological Day hospedado pelo Caliandra do Cerrado
I update this post to participate on Ecological Day hostes by Caliandra do Cerrado

You can see the trails made by Leafcutter Ants on my garden.

Leafcutter ants are social insects found in warmer regions of Central and South America. The ants get their name from the way they cut leaves from trees, which they then haul back to their nest. The Leafcutter don't eat the leaves, they are species of ants that are fungus farmers, they cultivate (grow) their own food, a type of fungus, in underground gardens. Leafcutter ants comprise two genera — Atta and Acromyrmex — with a total of 39 species, some of which are major agricultural pests. For example, some Atta species are capable of defoliating an entire citrus tree in less than 24 hours.

Trail pheromones: Leafcutter ants lay down an initial trail of pheromones as they return to the nest with food. This trail attracts other ants and serves as a guide. As long as the food source remains, the pheromone trail will be continually renewed.




Did you know? Leaf-cutting ants harvest more greenery in South American forests than any other animal. In fact, within the rain forest, leaf-cutter ants consume almost 20% of the annual vegetation growth! In its lifetime, a colony of these ants may move over 20 tons of soil. You can learn more about Leafcutter ants here, here and here.

As formigas cortadeiras são insetos sociais encontrados exclusivamente nas regiões tropicais e subtropicais das Américas. As formigas cortadeiras compreendem 2 gêneros de formigas cultivadoras de fungos, Atta e Acromyrmex, com um total de cerca de 40 espécies, alguns dos quais são sérias pragas agrícolas. As formigas cortadeiras são insetos desfolhadores e são capazes de desfolhar uma laranjeira inteira em menos de 24 horas. No Brasil, as formigas do gênero Atta são conhecidas popularmente como saúvas e as Acromyrmex como quenquéns. A população de um ninho adulto pode conter até vários milhões de formigas. As formigas cortadeiras não comem as plantas, mas cortam os vegetais e transportam os pedaços para o formigueiro onde esse material é utilizado para o cultivo de um fungo do qual se alimentam.

Trilha de feromônios: As formigas andam em filas, deixando no chão rastros químicos, os feromônios, que carregam odores com o cheiro da colônia a que pertencem, para que elas não se percam. Esses rastros são sua forma de comunicação.

Here you can see the hole of their nests. A mature leafcutter colony can contain more than 8 million ants, mostly sterile female workers. Leafcutter ants build huge nests, sometimes 30 feet across and 20 feet deep, which have several entrances, perhaps hundreds of yards apart. The colony is ruled by a single queen, an ant about the size of a baby mouse. She is 800 times heavier than her smallest worker! The queen may live for up to 20 years. After her death, the colony will fall in to a state of chaos and die along with her.

Photos by Sonia A. Mascaro

As I could not to take photos of the ants, here are some photos I founded on the web.

Photo by Best of un!art Fotos 2006

Photo by National Geographic


Photo by Wikipedia



Photo by The Flying Kiwi, Richard Seaman

Click on photos to enlarge

Merche Gimeno

Merche Gimeno es el nombre de la chica mas sexy en España, gracias al voto de mas de 300.000 lectores que estubieron prendados de su belleza. FHM organizó el concurso saliendo ganadora Merche Gimeno estudiante de 24 que vive en Valencia y que espera salir en la tapa de FHM en Diciembre, aqui unas fotos de La Puerta del Sol de Madrid. Un gran espectaculo.

BMW Cars Series

German automaker BMW has recently announced the details and features of the new 2008 6 Series Coupe and Convertible models. For 2008, the company gave the 6 Series a wide array of new features and equipments. Only one model variant will be offered in the U.S. market - the BMW 650i.
The BMW 650i Coupe and Convertible offers luxurious and elegant driving experience with a host of new features inside and out. Outside, the BMW 650i is equipped with reconfigured optical headlight lenses, new front air dam with larger opening, amber DOT reflectors, LED design taillights, reshaped trunklid, and taller spoiler.


New features for 2008 are extended on the interior, which include brushed aluminum radio knobs, brushed aluminum iDrive controller, leather-wrapped center console, seats with Sun Reflective Technology, standard and optional seats with Active Head Restraints, LED brake and turnsignal lights, and wider trunklid-mounted third brake light. Other new features include Active Cruise Control Stop & Go, Lane Departure Warning system, and USB adaptor for iPods and other MP3 players.


Under the hood of this luxury-inspired model comes a 4।8-liter Valvetronic V-8 engine that offers up rated horsepower and torque output. The engine now pumps put 360 hp and pulls out higher torque peak output of 360 lb-ft. rotating at 3,400 rpm. This power unit will be combined with a 6-speed manual or Sport Automatic gearbox. BMW comented on the new Sport Automatic, "this new transmission boasts quicker shift response in "Sport" mode, as well as standard shifter paddles on the steering wheel."
Furthermore, the BMW 6 Series Coupe and Convertible models are equipped with front suspension system with double-pivot front system. This features stronger self-centering feel in steering, lower ride height, and firmer springs and shock absorbers. Meanwhile, the rear suspension comes with multi-link layout called Integral Link that controls rear-wheel angles very precisely. Other technical features found on the 2008 BMW 6 Series include Active Roll Stabilization, rack-and-pinion steering with Servotronic power assist, and innovative brakes.
Aside from the new exterior features mentioned above, other exterior features include luminescent rings around the high beams, redesigned turn indicators, standard foglights with restyled lenses, front flanks, recurved spoiler, reconfigured rear lamps, reshaped lower tail lamps, rear diffuser, and dual exhaust. The 6 Series models are also equipped with new side sills and all aluminum front-end structure. A choice of either 18 or 19-inch wheels and run-flat tires standard completes the exterior package.
Inside, the 2008 BMW 6 Series offers a comfortable, sporty, convenient, and luxurious interior environment. Interior highlights include redesigned instrument cluster, LED ground lighting, illuminated doorsill logos, illumination of interior door handles, 1-touch open/close door windows, retractable rear window, GPS Navigation with DVD database and Real Time Traffic Information, Voice Command System, and standard AM/FM/CD system with eight speakers. A 12-way power adjustable seats including 4-way power lumbar support is also included, plus a wide range of active and passive safety equipments. The BMW 6 Series really stands out compared to the 5 Series models like the BMW 528i with quality BMW 528i parts।

Erika Cuellar

Erika Cuellar es una belleza nacida en Bolivia, es una excelente modelo publicitaria. Ha sido Reina de la Caña de azúcar en el norte de Santa Cruz de la Sierra, su ciudad natal y es muy apreciada por el público, los medios de prensa y televisión Boliviana. Su espectacular figura le permite formar parte de los diversos certamenes de modelos y estar a la altura de las Argentinas mas solicitadas.

Fotos Erika Cuellar

Ariela Medeiros

Ariela Medeiros nació el 08 de Abril de 1984 en Florianópolis, Brasil. Es una espectacular modelos favorita de los cibernautas Chilenos, de impactantes ojos castaños y cabello rubio Ariela se gano la audiencie en Chile con su belleza. Fotos Ariela Medeiros Terra.

Jocelyn Medina

La chilena Jocelyn Medina tiene 22 años y lleva 5 años bailando como odalisca y uno trabajando como modelo. Esta morena era el gran crédito chileno para el pasado concurso de Miss Reef Chile. Sin embargo, la argentina Noelia Chazarreta finalmente se quedó con la corona y ahora, hace sólo unas semanas, Jocelyn pudo disfrutar del triunfo al obtener el cetro al mejor trasero de América alzándose como la Miss Master Colita Latinoamerica.

Karla Lopez

La bellísima modelo venezolana Karla López, mas conocida como Karla Spice, una chica muy hermosa que a pesar de trabajar en RCTV no era muy conocida, al menos antes de que sus fotos por internet cobraran tanta popularidad… tanta que ahora es una de las favoritas moviéndole el piso a la no menos conocida Andrea Rincón o Selena Spice. Fotos Karla Lopez