18 replies to this topic

[Vendayn]

Almost double the size of an Argentine ant worker, and loves to climb. I at first thought maybe Hypoponera opacior because we have a lot of those around, but she is too big for Hypoponera opacior. The other difference is I never had Hypoponera want to climb at all, what so ever and they are kinda slow. This worker is slow, but then goes really fast when climbing. I've never seen a worker ant like this here before in the apartment complex, and she is pretty decent sized. She as long as the Pheidole megacephala soldiers, but not as beefy. I found the worker on top of our grill on our porch, so I dunno how she managed to get up there and couldn't find anymore workers like her. She also has a weird shaped head I noticed.

 

I also noticed she tucks her legs into her body, but then like a spring, the legs jump out and her legs are actually pretty long for her body size. I'm not sure if the tucking in legs in her body means she is injured or something as I've never seen that behavior but its almost like a very tiny jump. But I notice she only does that if I move her around. Also her legs are super "sticky", if she ends up on my finger its really hard to get her off.

 

Here are some pictures

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Vendayn, March 5 2019 - 7:14 PM.

[TennesseeAnts]

It's hard to tell from the pics, but possibly a Lasius species?

[Vendayn]

It's hard to tell from the pics, but possibly a Lasius species?

Hm, I'll look into it. I've never seen Laisus here before though, all that I've seen around are invasive ants. So whatever it is has to survive the endless hordes of Argentine ants that are everywhere here. The hillsides, the river, the entire complex, hordes and hordes of Argentine ants.

[TennesseeAnts]

Maybe just a large Linepithema worker? Or Tapinoma sessile?

Edited by Ant_Dude2908, March 5 2019 - 11:55 AM.

[Vendayn]

Maybe just a large Linepithema worker?

That could just be it. But I've never seen one this large. I compared her to the Argentine ants in front of the door, and then the ones in the river area and she is almost double the length of the ones out front+river area. Maybe she just grew to be very big, if she is just an Argentine ant worker. If so, I think she is the biggest Argentine ant worker I've ever seen lol.

[TennesseeAnts]

Maybe the ones you are used to seeing are small nanitics? How long in millimeters? Or you found the first Argentine ant major.. 

Edited by Ant_Dude2908, March 5 2019 - 12:02 PM.

[Vendayn]

Argentine ants tend to be all the same size. Their only size variety comes from the climate they are in. I've seen larger Argentine ant workers in dry/semi-arid areas, but not nearly to this extent.

 

Also, the color doesn't really match any around here either. Plus, Argentine ants don't have super sticky legs like this worker does. Any time I have Argentine ants climb on me, its super easy to shake them off. That and I've never seen Argentine ants straighten out and look "flat" then spring out their legs, but then maybe the worker got injured or something for it to do that. Then again, I don't go around catching Argentine ants, so maybe they do that too?

Edited by Vendayn, March 5 2019 - 12:24 PM.

[TennesseeAnts]

I dunno. Never actually seen one.

[Rstheant]

Argentine ants aren’t polymorphic, so defensive not a major. Does it have a triangle like head. I could be Camponotus. Maybe a Formica species too. I don’t know for sure.

Edited by Rstheant, March 5 2019 - 2:54 PM.

[TennesseeAnts]

Argentine ants aren’t polymorphic, so defensive not a major. Does it have a triangle like head. I could be Camponotus. Maybe a Formica species too. I don’t know for sure.

I was joking about the whole major thing.

[YsTheAnt]

I think it might be a small Liometopum occidentale worker, or perhaps L. luctosum.

Edited by YsTheAnt, March 5 2019 - 3:39 PM.

[Rstheant]

From where you live, it might be Liometopum luctosum.

[TennesseeAnts]

From where you live, it might be Liometopum luctosum.

For some reason I completely forgot about those... I agree.

[dspdrew]

 

From where you live, it might be Liometopum luctosum.

For some reason I completely forgot about those... I agree.

 

 

I don't think those are going to be found at the elevation this ant was found at. They live where there are pine trees. Whatever it is, it sure doesn't look double the size of an Argentine ant to me.

[Vendayn]

I compared it and it wasn't quite double, but definitely longer and bulkier. That or its cause I need new eyeglasses (can't really even barely see text on my PC screen), but it still doesn't look like an Argentine ant. Maybe my eyes are too bad to get proper descriptions these days. But that is why I took pictures.

[Vendayn]

So I took an Argentine ant outside the front door and put it in the test tube.

 

its just an argentine ant...

 

I think I need new glasses, cause I can't actually barely see anything. Even if I get really close to my monitor, its hard to see rofl. But can't afford any and don't have insurance for eyeglasses.

 

So mystery solved anyway

[Apex]

I used to have argentines all around me, but the prenolepis have just been destroying them. Every year, argentines push but then got defeated, I used to have huge wars between them on my porch.

Edited by xXApexFuzeXx, March 6 2019 - 6:33 PM.

[Rstheant]

Really, Prenolepis beating Argentine ants? The Prenolepis must have HUGE colonies to attack a typical sized colony of Argentines. 

[YsTheAnt]

Prenolepis are Argentine kryptonite. They secrete a liquid that can slaughter argentines with ease. They are able to push them back so well for this reason, but also because most of their attacks are done in the winter months, when argentines are weakest.