48 replies to this topic

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Do you think I could find Pheidole on the beach at a local park? It's not a recreational type beach, but as far as I can tell, a real sandy habitat. The park is Doctor's Park.

Edited by Antennal_Scrobe, October 12 2019 - 4:20 PM.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Aside from the two known species, we should keep an eye out for P. morrisi. It probably exists somewhere in the state, specifically the Lake Michigan shoreline.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

I think the black Myrmica at the end of the Spring Green album might be M. detritinodis or M. latifrons. I'm leaning towards latifrons right now.

Edited by Antennal_Scrobe, October 27 2019 - 12:02 PM.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

The Myrmica species seen waling on a leaf in the Spring Green album are most likely M. incompleta in my opinion.

[Mdrogun]

Do you think I could find Pheidole on the beach at a local park? It's not a recreational type beach, but as far as I can tell, a real sandy habitat. The park is Doctor's Park.

I have been with Tbone on many of his anting adventures, except the Spring Green ones. We were talking about this not too long ago, and we noticed that Pheidole spp. up by us seem to need a sandy environment, and water. That could be a lake, a river, etc. His Pheidole pilifera finds at Spring Green may show that they are more tolerable of dry conditions than we previously thought, but he will have to speak for himself on that. We also noticed that they do not do well with many of the common invasives nearby. Tetramorium immigrans for example. All of the Pheidole spp. we found at Illinois Beach State Park together were not near any Tetramorium immigrans. This is likely because the pilifera-group Pheidole spp. up here have relatively small colonies and can't compete.

Edited by Mdrogun, October 27 2019 - 5:58 PM.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

I think you should go to Gotham Jack Pine Barrens State Natural Area next summer. You'll probably find Pheidole and maybe even Trachymyrmex.

[AnthonyP163]

I think you should go to Gotham Jack Pine Barrens State Natural Area next summer. You'll probably find Pheidole and maybe even Trachymyrmex.

I've always speculated about Trachymyrmex being possible. I believe it is has a possible presence for WI but very unlikely or extremely rare. Current degrading environmental conditions, such as direct activity from humans or just invasive ants will probably only damage the possibility of us finding these species in our state. However, I do stay hopeful and always keep an eye out.

 

We have quite literally found Tetramorium simillimum at Beach Park, IL, so I am always sure to keep an open mind and eyes. 

 

I think I will keep the name of that State Natural Area somewhere because that looks like a great place to explore. Anyone is welcome to come on the anting trips we go on in the summer, just ask when we plan to hold them and where. We try to be as flexible as possible so more people can make it. 

Edited by AnthonyP163, November 19 2019 - 3:41 PM.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

 I'll try to come on those anting trips, they seem really fun. Do you have any scheduled yet? 

[AnthonyP163]

 I'll try to come on those anting trips, they seem really fun. Do you have any scheduled yet? 

Nope. We typically schedule them 1-4 weeks prior to the occasion. Usually they're sometime around July, although we did a last-minute one in September as a final day for the season.

Edited by AnthonyP163, November 19 2019 - 5:07 PM.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

I compiled this list of Wisconsin ant species,

Spoiler

Aphaenogaster carolinensis ?

Aphaenogaster fulva

Aphaenogaster lamellidens

Aphaenogaster mariae

Aphaenogaster sp. N17 (picea)

Aphaenogaster sp. N22b (rudis)

Aphaenogaster tennesseensis

Aphaenogaster texana ? 

Aphaenogaster treatae 

Brachymyrmex depilis 

Camponotus americanus

Camponotus caryae

Camponotus castaneus

Camponotus chromaiodes

Camponotus discolor

Camponotus herculeanus

Camponotus nearcticus

Camponotus novaeboracensis

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Camponotus subbarbatus 

Crematogaster cerasi

Crematogaster laeviuscula ?

Crematogaster lineolata 

Dolichoderus mariae

Dolichoderus plagiatus

Dolichoderus pustulatus

Dolichoderus taschenbergi 

Dorymyrmex grandulus 

Forelius pruinosus 

Formica adamsi

Formica adamsi whymperi ?

Formica argentea

Formica aserva

Formica biophilica

Formica creightoni ?

Formica dakotensis

Formica difficilis ?

Formica dolosa

Formica emeryi ?

Formica exsectoides

Formica ferocula ?

Formica fossaceps

Formica glacialis

Formica gynocrates ?

Formica hewitti

Formica impexa

Formica incerta

Formica integra

Formica knighti ?

Formica lasioides

Formica manni

Formica microgyna ?

Formica montana

Formica neogagates

Formica neorufibarbis

Formica nepticula ?

Formica obscuripes

Formica obscuriventris

Formica pallidefulva

Formica pergandei

Formica podzolica

Formica postoculata

Formica prociliata

Formica querquetulana

Formica reflexa

Formica rubicunda

Formica spatulata

Formica subaenescens

Formica subintegra

Formica subsericea

Formica talbotae ?

Formica ulkei

Formica vinculans 

Formicoxenus hirticornis ?

Formicoxenus provancheri ? 

Harpagoxenus canadensis 

Hypoponera opacior ? 

Lasius americanus

Lasius aphidicola

Lasius brevicornis

Lasius bureni

Lasius claviger

Lasius crypticus

Lasius interjectus

Lasius latipes

Lasius minutus

Lasius murphyi ?

Lasius nearcticus

Lasius neoniger

Lasius occidentalis ?

Lasius pallitarsis

Lasius plumopilosus

Lasius pubescens ?

Lasius speculiventris

Lasius subglaber

Lasius subumbratus 

Leptothorax canadensis 

Monomorium emarginatum ?

Monomorium minimum

Monomorium talbotae ? 

Myrmecina americana 

Myrmica sp. AF-evanida

Myrmica sp. AF-sculptilis

Myrmica sp. AF-smithana

Myrmica alaskensis

Myrmica americana

Myrmica brevispinosa

Myrmica detritinodis

Myrmica fracticornis

Myrmica incompleta

Myrmica latifrons

Myrmica lobifrons

Myrmica monticola  ?

Myrmica nearctica

Myrmica pinetorum

Myrmica punctiventris

Myrmica semiparasitica ?

Myrmica spatulata 

Nylanderia parvula

Nylanderia terricola 

Pheidole bicarinata

Pheidole morrisi ?

Pheidole pilifera 

Polyergus bicolor

Polyergus breviceps

Polyergus lucidus

Polyergus mexicanus

Polyergus montivagus

Polyergus sanwaldi ? 

Ponera pennsylvanica 

Prenolepis imparis 

Proceratium silaceum ? 

Solenopsis molesta

Solenopsis texana ? 

Stenamma brevicorne

Stenamma diecki

Stenamma impar

Stenamma meridionale

Stenamma schmittii 

Stigmatomma pallipes 

Strumigenys abdita

Strumigenys clypeata ?

Strumigenys dietrichi ?

Strumigenys laevinasis

Strumigenys ornata ?

Strumigenys pergandei

Strumigenys pilinasis

Strumigenys pulchella

Strumigenys reflexa 

Tapinoma sessile 

Temnothorax ambiguus

Temnothorax americanus

Temnothorax curvispinosus

Temnothorax duloticus ?

Temnothorax longispinosus

Temnothorax minutissimus ?

Temnothorax pergandei

Temnothorax schaumii

Temnothorax pilagens ? 

Temnothorax texanus 

which puts the number somewhere between 127 and 160! Names with a question mark may or may not be present. These species are spread across 25-28 genera

Edited by Antennal_Scrobe, November 29 2019 - 2:20 PM.

[CheetoLord02]

Spring green was super fun! Seeing those Pheidole pilifera with their massive majors was so sweet!

[AnthonyP163]

4-9-20

 

Updated Spring Green to include the April 7th 2020 trip. Added these species to the list:

 

Formica manni

Formica neogagates

Formica aserva

dulotic Formica

Formica obscuripes

Polyergus mexicanus

Prenolepis imparis

Monomorium minimum

Forelius pruinosus

Camponotus americanus

Lasius speculiventris

Lasius claviger

Pheidole bicarinata

Aphaenogaster rudis

Aphaenogaster treatae

Ponera pennsylvanica

Temnothorax americanus

Solenopsis molesta

 

Therefore

 

-Added Formica manni

-Added Formica neogagates

-Added Formica aserva

-Added Polyergus breviceps

-Added Polyergus mexicanus

-Added Camponotus americanus

-Added Lasius speculiventris

-Added Lasius claviger

-Added Aphaenogaster treatae

-Added Pheidole bicarinata

-Added Temnothorax americanus 

-Updated Formica montana

-Revised Strumigenys 

[AnthonyP163]

4-13-20

 

-Added Formica hewitti

-Added Formica creightoni

-Added Myrmica spatulata

-Added Hypoponera opacior

-Updated Spring Green List

Edited by AnthonyP163, April 13 2020 - 3:49 PM.

[Antennal_Scrobe]

You should send that Pheidole to a myrmecologist! I assume it must be a new species, since P. wheelerorum was found so far away. Formica hewitti is most common in the same area of New Mexico and Colorado though, and as that species is found here for some reason, it might very well be P. wheelerorum. I can't wait to hear back about the new Strumigenys; I wonder what they'll name it.

[mannac]

Wow, this is a great resource for WI ants!
Thanks for putting this together. It's hard to find info specific to WI and the lists that exist only have a handful of species on them.

[AnthonyP163]

4-22-20

 

-Added Spring Green April 22nd Anting Trip

-Added Nylanderia parvula

-Added Nylanderia arenivaga

-Added Lasius subglaber

-Added Gotham Pine Barrens April 22nd Trip

-Lost my macro lens at Spring Green 

-Removed Crematogaster sp. 2

-Added Crematogaster lineolata

-Random edits here and there

[AnthonyP163]

5/9/20

-Added Temnothorax pilagens

-Added Formica neoclara

[Antennal_Scrobe]

Temnothorax pilagens? Impressive. I assume these are pretty hard to notice, right? Since they are only officially recorded from 3 sites, and you found one at a random location you've probably been to quite a bit, do you think they are perhaps more common than thought? Either way, you've made another scientifically significant finding.

[AnthonyP163]

Temnothorax pilagens? Impressive. I assume these are pretty hard to notice, right? Since they are only officially recorded from 3 sites, and you found one at a random location you've probably been to quite a bit, do you think they are perhaps more common than thought? Either way, you've made another scientifically significant finding.

Yes, I thought it was a worker of T. ambiguus until I realized its odd coloration and size was very different. I tried finding the colony it was from but never found it. This is the same place I found Strumigenys, I go here all the time. Never really saw anything like it until now.

[AnthonyP163]

6/9/20

-Added Camponotus chromaiodes

-Added Camponotus subbarbatus

-Added Temnothorax duloticus 

-Added Temnothorax americanus

-Updated Spring Green Anting List

Edited by AnthonyP163, June 9 2020 - 11:17 AM.