TEA FOR THOUSANDS

 

Tea for Thousands, acrylic on canvas, 2022. 30" X 20"

In the painting, several colonies of different ant species swarm towards a collection of fruits, which include some half-eaten apples, apricots, an overripe tomato and a large blackberry. The artist intends to convey the meaning of the Malay phrase “ada gula ada semut” (where there is sugar, there are ants), which means that where there is wealth or opportunity, there will also be those seeking to benefit from it, and includes various species of ant to represent those of various backgrounds.

The colonies are listed below, counter-clockwise from top left.

Weaver ants (Oecoephylla smaradgina, Kerengga in Malay) are large, red ants that are distributed from South and Southeast Asia to Australia. They build their nests on trees and are known for their cooperative behavior, usually when building nests where workers pull nest leaves together to be joined during construction. A "sentry ant" stands on top of a toadstool.

Red wood ants (Formica rufa) are native to Europe and Turkey, but can also be found in North America. They have large jaws called mandibles, and like many other ant species, they are able to spray acid from their abdomens as a defense. They feed on small invertebrates, as well as honeydew from aphids. These ants' nests are large, dome-shaped mounds of grass, twigs, or conifer needles, often built against a rotting tree stump.

Eciton army ants (Eciton burchellii, left) live in the dense tropical jungles of Central and South America, where they avoid direct sunlight. These ants have different forms based on caste: soldiers (pictured) have larger heads and mandibles than workers. They undergo a "colony cycle" where in one phase they carry out raids in large swarms to find food once every day.

Unlike most ants, bullet ants (Paraponera clavata, middle) have stingers at the end of their abdomen. They inhabit humid lowland rainforests in Central and South America. They are not normally aggressive, except when defending their nests from intruders.

Driver ants (Dorylus, right), also known as safari ants or siafu ants, are found primarily in southern Africa. Their diet consists of other arthropods, and soldiers have large heads equipped with sharp mandibles to break into the tough exoskeletons of their prey. The ants' jaws are very strong that, in eastern Africa, they are used as natural emergency sutures to close open wounds. 

Leafcutter ants (Atta cephalotes, right) are tropical, fungus-cultivating ants which range throughout Central and South America. They are able to carry objects 20 times their body weight and cut and process fresh vegetation. They use the leaves to serve as a nutritional source for the fungi grown at their nest. In the painting, they appear to "provide" the leaves to the other ants as "trays" for the ants to place their food on. One of the ants is standing on a cluster of edible mushrooms.

Red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta, left) originate in South America and have been accidentally introduced in Australia, New Zealand, several Asian and Caribbean countries, and the United States. These ants have been observed carrying out a variety of activities, such as building rafts when they sense rising water levels. These ants are venomous, and they use their venom to hunt prey or for defense.

Like bullet ants, Australian bulldog ants (Myrmecia, right) have large mandibles and stingers on their abdomen. However, they are more aggressive than bullet ants and use their stingers to hunt prey. Their nests are normally built on the soil, but can also be built under rocks or on rotten wood. The jack jumper ant is a type of bulldog ant.

Honeypot ants (left) are usually seen with extremely swollen abdomens that they use as a food storage. Other ants extract the nutrients from the abdomens of these ants. Honeypot ants can be found in the driest regions of the world, including deserts in northern Africa, North America and Australia, where their abdomens serve as an adaptation to the scarcity of food and water. These ants are also a food source for aboriginal Australian tribes who inhabit the central desert of the continent. 

In the background, a giant anteater is attracted to the feeding frenzy. It feeds primarily on ants and termites, using its long tongue to lap up the insects when feeding.