Ant Architecture: The Wonder, Beauty, and Science of Underground Nests

I devoured this book in three days. It is a story of scientific discovery and the ingenuity needed to uncover the secrets of subterranean animal societies. The chapters are beautifully illustrated to show the diversity of ant architectural forms, and also the scale of the architects who must contend with grains of sand the size of boulders. Tschinkel artfully reveals the triumphs and humor of interrogating ant colonies, and how each question leads to another question – or a new invention. I was transported to the balmy Pine forests of Florida and left with the sense of wonder that only comes from reading an epic of field biology told well. I recommend this book to any curious naturalist. You’ll soon be under the spell of the ants.Christina K.

Un libro interesante y asombroso, tanto en la descripción de la arquitectura de los hormigueros, como en la explicación de la fabricación de los moldes. Las hormigas son unos animales francamente sosprendentes.Recomendable para todos, no sólo para los aficionados a la mirmecología.

Excellent book

Beginning with an entertaining introduction we join Dr. Walter Tschinkel in a fascinating exploration of the hidden world teeming beneath our feet. The author delves into the elaborate and beautiful structures created by ants as he carefully excavates their nests. We follow him as he improves on his creative casting techniques and improvements for the excavation and piecing together of his subterranean discoveries. We also learn of innovative experiments conducted to evaluate and interpret findings regarding the division of labor and seed allocation and methodology used. A variety of illustrations which accompany the text display the intricate and beautiful architecture created by these industrious creatures. They are works of art! Highly recommended

One need not be a Myrmecologist to appreciate this short but fascinating book about ants and their home construction practices. It begins by describing the authors search for a means to model subterranean ant nests. In the process, some ant behavior and the methodology used to create a bewildering array of nest shapes are described. It becomes clear by the end that ant colonies are “superorganisms.” Maybe not for everyone, but if you’re curious …