June 18 2005
<i>Aphaenogaster tennesseensis</i> collecting mushrooms at Great Falls, MD.

<p>
Mushroom on dead oak tree, near ground.
<br>
<img src="1.jpg">
<p>
Mushroom on same tree, two feet above ground.
<br>
<img src="2.jpg">
<p>
Same mushroom, view from below.
<br>
<img src="3.jpg">
<p>
Lower mushroom from above.
<img src="4.jpg">
<p>
Upper mushroom with two<i> A. tennesseensis</i>. Lower ant is cutting the mushroom.
<br>
<img src="5.jpg">
<p>
Views of the ant cutting a mushroom piece free.
<img src="6.jpg">
<p>
<img src="7.jpg">
<p>
<img src="8.jpg">
<p>
<img src="9.jpg">
<p>
An <i>A. tennesseensis</i> on the same mushroom working on pulling a piece below.
<br>
<img src="10.jpg">
<p>
The ant on the left is the one that was cutting the mushroom.  
After the ant freed the piece of mushroom, a second ant came and took it from the first.
<br>
<img src="11.jpg">
<p>
The second ant quickly leaves with the mushroom piece.
<br>
<img src="12.jpg">
<p>
The second ant travels laterally across the trunk of the dead tree with the mushroom piece.
<br>
<img src="13.jpg">
<p>
<img src="14.jpg">
<p>
The ant enters the bark of the tree, and likely its nest site.  These ants only nest in dead trees with bark remaining relatively intact.
<img src="15.jpg">
<p>
<a href="antmushmovie.mpg">A not so beautiful but functional movie of the ant cutting the mushroom.</a>