Vivaldi Ants

Artistic and Educational Music Video:
Leafcutter ants of the Guyana rain forest with Antonio Vivaldi's Cello Concerto in C minor, third movement.

Filmed by John D. Liu, EEMP, Earths Hope
Edited by Kosima Weber Liu, EEMP
Music by Antonio Vivaldi, Cello Concerto in C Minor, RV 401 - Third Movement, Allegro Ma Non Molto, 3:30 min, Toronto Chamber Orchestra, Ofra Harnoy, Paul Robinson.

Location: Guyana Rain Forest, Kaieteur Waterfall (one of the tallest single drop very powerful waterfalls, 226 m or 721 ft) and Potaro River in Central Guyana.

Performance: Leafcutter ants (Atta cephalotes)

Dedicated by EEMP/ Earths Hope as a big thank you to Canopy Capital,
Promoting the Understanding of Ecosystem Functions.

ANTONIO LUCIO VIVALDI
(March 4, 1678 July 28, 1741), Baroque music composer and Venetian priest, as well as a famous virtuoso violinist, born and raised in the Republic of Venice. The Four Seasons, a series of four violin concerti, is his best-known work and a highly popular Baroque piece. (Wikipedia)

LEAFCUTTER ANTS
Leafcutter ants are social insects found in warmer regions of the Americas. These unique ants have evolved an advanced agricultural system based on ant-fungus mutualism. They feed on special structures called gongylidia produced by a specialized fungus that grows only in the underground chambers of the ants' nest.
Different species of leafcutter ants use different species of fungus, but all of the fungi the ants use are members of the Lepiotaceae family. The ants actively cultivate their fungus, feeding it with freshly-cut plant material and maintaining it free from pests and molds. This mutualist relationship is further augmented by another symbiotic partner, a bacterium that grows on the ants and secretes chemicals- essentially the ants use portable antimicrobials. Leaf cutter ants are sensitive enough to adapt to the fungi's reaction to different plant material, apparently detecting chemical signals from the fungus. If a particular type of leaf is toxic to the fungus the colony will no longer collect it.

The only two other groups of insects that have evolved fungus-based agriculture are ambrosia beetles and termites.

Natural Antibiotics
In addition to feeding the fungus, the ants also produce a natural antibiotic to protect the fungus from a mold. This mold is present in nearly all colonies of leafcutter ants. The antibiotic consists of a white coating on the bodies of many ants made up of bacteria. Close inspection of the bacteria shows that it is that which makes half of our modern antibiotics. The natural antibiotic produced by the ants does such a good job of keeping the mold in check that it was only recently that anybody thought to investigate infestations in the ant colonies.
(Wikipedia)

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Leafcutter ants
• Guyana
• South America
• tropical forest
• Antonio
• Vivaldi
• Cello Concerto
• Ecosystem Functions
• Earth's Hope

[TheLCusi]

Ofra Harnoy is my friends mom!!!!

[HaliacetusLeuco]

Vivaldi an+~+~+~*

[Reliancedred]

I was privelleged to witness this in person up Canje Creek, Berbice.

[Funkiller1000]

lol funnny GREAT 5/5 =D =D =D SUBACRIBE!

[BobbyEnergy]

nice video and great with this piece.