Growing Up with Ants

Marlene Anether has been fascinated with insects, and especially ants, ever since kindergarten. Now, after years of interacting with many species, she shares her extensive knowledge with others in the following comics. This fun, visual, and highly educational display will catch the eye of any ant and insect lover and can teach many of us some new facts about how ant societies are established.

A post edit by Salvatore Brunetti and Olana Kulumba

A comics by Marlene Anether

My passion for insects — ants specifically— began early on. In kindergarten, I was already collecting bugs and observing their behaviour. Later, I stumbled upon a video of somebody keeping ants as pets. I immediately asked my mother if I could do the same. I was only ten at the time.
Ever since then, ants have been a constant part of my life. They first invaded the living area, and now, even my own room is taken over by tubes and formicaria for my leafcutter ants. Over the years, I have kept a variety of species, from self-caught native ants like Lasius flavus to colonies bought from Europe and South America.
I drew this comic to share my fascination with ants and some of my experiences and knowledge I gained from keeping them over the years. I hope it sparks curiosity about ants and invites others to understand their society and behaviour in a new way.