18 replies to this topic

[Ra3MaN]

So I did a hike the other day, at Wonderboom (Afrikaans for Amazing tree) nature reserve, and this is what I found. I couple of interesting ants. I don't know most of their names but if your see any familiar ones let me know....

 

Ant one 

 

 

It is fairly big (~8mm)

 

Ant two: Myrmicaria  (presumably) natalensis

 

 

-showing off the social stomach action

 

 

-annihilating a small fruit.

 

Ant three - not sure, maybe Tetramorium sp.?

 

 

 

it has an interesting pattern of its gaster

 

Ant four,

 

I couldn't get a clear shot but these ones are clearly aphid farming... 

 

 

And lastly: Ant-elope, one of the residents, Impala 

 

 

Please help me ID these unknown ants... 

Edited by Ra3MaN, March 23 2015 - 4:04 AM.

[Gregory2455]

Those third ones look like Tetramorium sp, and the frst one looks like a Polyrhachis sp.

[Alza]

cx Ant-elope, i like your sense of humor 

[James C. Trager]

Great pictures, from a part of the world from where we don't see many images. Hoping for many more ...

 

Possibly, ant #3 is something in the  Tetramorium solidum group. 

The aphid-tending ants are Lepisiota sp.  Note, they are gathering honeydew from free-living aphids, but technically not farming them, which occurs underground, on plant roots, as the term is normally used.
Also regarding terminology, the social stomach is the crop, a portion of the digestive tract of ants. The most we can say from the picture alone is what those Myrmicaria are doing is feeding in a group.

[Ra3MaN]

Thank you for your Input, James, 

 

I am quite surprised at how widely distributed the Tetramorium sp. are. I will definitely try and share some more images as I capture them. 

[Jonathan21700]

Nice pictures! Very beautiful ants!

[Gregory2455]

Great pictures, from a part of the world from where we don't see many images. Hoping for many more ...

 

Possibly, ant #3 is something in the  Tetramorium solidum group. 

The aphid-tending ants are Lepisiota sp.  Note, they are gathering honeydew from free-living aphids, but technically not farming them, which occurs underground, on plant roots, as the term is normally used.
Also regarding terminology, the social stomach is the crop, a portion of the digestive tract of ants. The most we can say from the picture alone is what those Myrmicaria are doing is feeding in a group.

So I was right about the third ant being Tetramorium? What about the first ant?

[Ra3MaN]

I tried to ID it on Ant web, but the plates on the thorax seem different to that of Polyrhachis. It Definitely looks similar though based on the gastor and the head.

[Gregory2455]

I was going off by the spines and head shape.

[Ra3MaN]

I recently went back to the reserve dedicated to finding some more species and this is what I came up with.... 

 

1. I found a dead Polyrhachis sp. with out antenae

 

 

of this species

 

 

2. another Polyrhachis sp. ? Possibly another species.

 

 

3. and another...?

 

4. I am not sure about this genus, I am guessing Campontus sp. ?

 

 

5. And another? 

 

-this one seemed to be sucking the sweat of my hand, quite a nice sensation...

 

 

5. Pesumably pogonomyrmex

 

 

6. and another? 

 

 

7. Mymicaria sp. raiding a termite nest

 

 

8. Unknown

 

 

9. unknown

 

 

10. unknown 

 

 

Let me know if you see any familiar ant species and if I was wrong in my guessing... 

 

[Ants4fun]

The small slender orange ant looks like Pseudomyrmex.

[Ra3MaN]

I agree. It definitely has that body structure... I see it is pretty widely distributed.

Edited by Ra3MaN, March 23 2015 - 5:53 AM.

[Gregory2455]

I do not think there are any Pogonomyrmex in South Africa.

[Jonathan21700]

They are no Pogonomyrmex and Pseudomyrmex in South Africa. They are only found in the Americas. I think this is a Tetraponera worker. Number 5 Pheidole?

Edited by Jonathan21700, March 23 2015 - 11:13 AM.

[Ants4fun]

Tetraponera was my second guess.

[Ra3MaN]

 

 

 I think this is a Tetraponera worker

 

It very well may be! http://www.alexander...era natalensis/

 

But they are really similar from what I can see, it looks like the nodes are all that is different. 

[Ants4fun]

That is a queen pictured there, so it might look a little different. I am pretty sure it is Tetraponera natalenses 

[Ra3MaN]

Yes I know, sorry, I meant that there are not vast differences between Pseudomymex and Tetraponera sp in terms of the body profile it would seem.

[Ants4fun]

Oh, you where talking about Pseudomyrmex

Edited by Ants4fun, March 24 2015 - 5:42 AM.