7 replies to this topic

[LC3]

1. Location of collection: Okanagan Lake, BC,Canada 
 

2. Date of collection: August,11th and August 12th
 

3. Habitat of collection: Dry and rocky
 

4. Length (from head to gaster): around 11mm
 

5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: Greyish black gaster, dark orange-red thorax and topof head is dark grey while bottom is orange.
6. Distinguishing characteristics: Not a lot of parasitic features, no large head/jaws and no small gaster.

7. Anything else distinctive: They are very aggressive and readily shoot acid. It's more like a droplet I think rather than a spray.

8. Nest description: Their hosts are those within the Fusca complex.

 

Found these 2 Formica dealates at Okanagan Lake. At first I doubted they we're parasitic until I found a bunch of Formica fusca chambers with nanitics and I thought they might have flown at this time to take over these chambers. So before I left I grab some pupae from F.argentae (not host but whatever) and they accepted it. 

Attached Images

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Edited by LC3, August 21 2015 - 10:20 AM.

[kellakk]

Those queens don't look parasitic to me.  Accepting pupae does not mean they're parasitic, and you can see how large their gasters are. 

[Crystals]

None of those look parasitic.  The parasitic ones have gasters about half that size.  Any queen will usually readily accept pupae.

 

I do see 3 species though. 

One that looks black with grey bands on its gaster is in the fusca group, possibly Formica podzolica or Formica argentea.

The really shiney black one is in the neogagates group, we would need much better pictures to narrow that one down.

The one with red I would need better pictures of but it is not parasitic, probably Formica neorufibarbis.  I see lots of these in the Rocky Mountains under rocks in certain areas.

[LC3]

Thanks everyone for the help. So apparently they aren't parasitic and Formica readily accept pupae.

 

None of those look parasitic.  The parasitic ones have gasters about half that size.  Any queen will usually readily accept pupae.

 

I do see 3 species though. 

One that looks black with grey bands on its gaster is in the fusca group, possibly Formica podzolica or Formica argentea.

The really shiney black one is in the neogagates group, we would need much better pictures to narrow that one down.

The one with red I would need better pictures of but it is not parasitic, probably Formica neorufibarbis.  I see lots of these in the Rocky Mountains under rocks in certain areas.

Those two seems to be in the same species, except they're slightly different coloured: they have the same pattern,colour and shape except one is slightly darker.. Either that or different Formica spp. can stay in the same tubes hugging each other for 2 days.

[Crystals]

It may be the angle of the camera then.

In the picture with all 3 queens present, the top and bottom one don't seem to have any red on them.  The top and bottom also look like a slightly different size, but that could be how they are sitting.

 

We would need better pictures, like antweb has for a better ID - https://www.antweb.o...nts&images=true

Especially side and head view.  If I can count hairs, then the pictures are great. 

[LC3]

The top one is a bit bigger than the others. I think they are neorufibarbis like you said.

 

Here are some pictures but I don't have a good camera or anything so these are the best I can get.

 

Attached Images

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Edited by LC3, August 21 2015 - 10:48 AM.

[Crystals]

The 3 ants look different to me.  I doubt they are all the same species.

 

For lighting, try putting them in light by a window for pictures and perhaps use a magnifying glass.

The pictures are not good enough for me to get a more solid ID.

[LC3]

2 of them seem to be the same species. one of them is not. So 2 different species in total.