On Slave Raiders and Aphid Farmers

With their enormous biomass ants occupy a key position in many Central European habitats. They are important predators, disseminators of plant seeds, as well as collaborative partners and hosts of other animal species.

Their fascinating diversity can be explored by means of a living ant colony, various models, preparations, and photographs. Ants vary not only in relation to size, colouring, and physical build; their behaviour is also pronouncedly differentiated – from war against other ants and the keeping of aphids, right up to slave raiding.

The examination of the in-house ant-collection serves as a basis for the exhibition, in which the distribution of the 100 Styrian ant-species is presented. Moreover, classification, ecology, and behaviour of native ants are described.