33 replies to this topic

[CatsnAnts]

Some of you may have looked at my journal and noticed that I caught a small colony. My dad was trimming branches off of our oak tree, and one branch in particular happened to have a wasp nest/shell, but I’ll just call it an acorn for the sake of it. I went closer, and noticed that there were ants inside, as well as a queen! I took it back to our house, and slowly coaxed them to move into a test tube. I am pretty sure it is a Camponotus species, it’s just I’ve never seen them nesting in something this small, and I have NO IDEA how the queen fit through the tiny enterence. The queen is 8.5 mm long and has a black head, orange thorax, and an orange/black striped gaster. The workers look very similar to the queen. Do you guys know what species they are?

[TennesseeAnts]

Camponotus cf. hyatti.

[CatsnAnts]

Camponotus cf. hyatti.

It does indeed look like C. hyatti, but according to AntMaps, this species is only found in the western United States, I live in Indiana, which is not near where they are found. Although there is always the possibility that Antweb is wrong.

[AntsBC]

Camponotus subbarbatus.

 

Camponotus hyatti is only found in western North America. 

Edited by AntsBC, May 28 2019 - 10:15 AM.

[CatsnAnts]

Camponotus subbarbatus.

Camponotus hyatti is only found in western North America.

It is most definitely not Camponotus subbarbatus. I have four of those queens, and it looks nothing like them.

[Acutus]

You're gonna need more Test tubes at this rate!!!     

[CatsnAnts]

You're gonna need more Test tubes at this rate!!!

Lol, I have 13, did have 14, but broke one today!

[CatsnAnts]

Alright, so I searched through EVERY Camponotus ant listed under North America, and Camponotus hyatti is the only match, but that still doesn’t make sense because they aren’t supposed to be found here. I really want to know what species she is!

[CatsnAnts]

Here are some “slightly” better pictures, and as you can see, the gaster has some orange coloration in it, so that definitely differs from the all black gaster of C. hyatti:





Also, is there any specific species of Camponotus ants that nest up in trees like this?

Edited by CatsnAnts, May 28 2019 - 11:28 AM.

[CatsnAnts]

If it helps, this species is vey aggressive when something comes near them. They snap and leap at it, like today when I have them a fly, the workers and queen formic acid sprayed it and kept lunging and biting it.

Also, I have just finished going through all of the species in my area according to antweb, and NONE of them look anything similar. Is it possible that this could just be a really light colored C. nearcticus?

Edited by CatsnAnts, May 28 2019 - 12:19 PM.

[Martialis]

No.

This is C. subbarbatus. Dead specimens often don’t look like the living counterpart.

[CatsnAnts]

No.

This is C. subbarbatus. Dead specimens often don’t look like the living counterpart.

No, I’m absolutely positive it’s not. I have 4 living C. Subbarbatus queens, and they look nothing like this.

[Acutus]

Maybe post pics of both for comparison?

[Acutus]

, and one branch in particular happened to have a wasp nest/shell, but I’ll just call it an acorn for the sake of it. 

 

Is this what you mean?

 

[CatsnAnts]

Maybe post pics of both for comparison?

Will do! And also about the picture, it is similar to that except that the shell is brown and VERY hard. I figured out that a lone wasp made it.

[Acutus]

 

Maybe post pics of both for comparison?

Will do! And also about the picture, it is similar to that except that the shell is brown and VERY hard. I figured out that a lone wasp made it.

 

Yes these are more fresh they eventually hardened too we call them Oak apple galls.

[TennesseeAnts]

I also have C. subbarbatus and they look nothing alike. These are C. hyatti. Antweb is often wrong. Try antmaps.

[CatsnAnts]

Here is a picture of a Camponotus subbarbatus queen from the web (all of my queens look exactly like this, I just don’t want to disturb them). The queen that I am trying to ID does not have the yellow stripes, or even yellow at all. Plus, the thorax is bright orange, whereas on C. Subbarbatus the thorax can range from black to dark red. There is no way that this queen is C. Subbarbatus unless it is some uncommon variety, but I highly doubt it. I will attempt to get better pictures tomorrow as I know these ones have bad glare.

[CatsnAnts]

I also have C. subbarbatus and they look nothing alike. These are C. hyatti. Antweb is often wrong. Try antmaps.

I too am leaning towards C. hyatti, although I have noticed some differences. The gasters of C. hyatti queens are always jet black from what I have seen. The gaster on my queen is orange and then fades into black. Is this just a variety?

[CatsnAnts]

Also, antmaps shows that C. hyatti is not anywhere near Indiana, and is only found in the Western US.