11 replies to this topic

[MadDog]

1. Location (on a map) of collection:
Nashville, Georgia USA

2. Date of collection:
Either 6/18/19 or 6/19/19

3. Habitat of collection:
Under a flower pot on my front porch. I live in a suburb right out of the city limits.

4. Length:
Don’t have an accurate way of measuring, but my finger is in the picture if that helps.

5. Color, hue, pattern and texture:
Reddish brown fading to a darker, almost black, color further down the body. It is shiny and smooth.

6. Distinguishing behavior: Wouldn’t stay still until it was in a “test tube” type set up.

Wish I had better pictures, but didn’t get any before I put her in the dark and don’t want to disturb her if I don’t have to. Let me know if I need to get better pictures.

Will post pictures as soon as I figure out how to... lol Sorry.

[MadDog]

http://www.formicult...ime-ant-keeper/

[MadDog]

I plan on getting a magnifying glass within this week or next and will try to get better pictures then.

[drtrmiller]

Depending on the size, it may be Camponotus nearcticus.  You need to put a ruler under it.

Edited by drtrmiller, June 22 2019 - 3:19 PM.

[AntsBC]

Camponotus floridanus, also known as the Florida Carpenter Ant.

[MadDog]

Thanks! I will get one when I get the magnifying glass and try to get better pictures. Are they fully claustral?

[NickAnter]

To me that looks like Camponotus floridanus. All Camponotus are claustral.

[MadDog]

Thank you! This will be my first ant colony if she produces for me so I appreciate the help. I’ve been into reptiles, amphibians, and some invertebrates my whole life, but ants are completely new to me. I have a lot to learn, but look forward to the journey and being a part of this community.

[MadDog]

Quick question. Is there a site one would recommend to a new ant keeper that would help ID ants? I have found several more queens and would like to be able to ID mostly on my own. That way I’m not posting more threads than are needed. I know a lot of people have a lot of questions so if I can do part of the work myself, I figured that would help the forum out a little. Thanks in advance for the help!

[AntsBC]

Quick question. Is there a site one would recommend to a new ant keeper that would help ID ants? I have found several more queens and would like to be able to ID mostly on my own. That way I’m not posting more threads than are needed. I know a lot of people have a lot of questions so if I can do part of the work myself, I figured that would help the forum out a little. Thanks in advance for the help!

 

If you go to the list of handy links, there is a section of links which you could use to identify ants.

 

"Anting, IDing and Keys 

Anting How-To
http://www.formicult...y-mated-queens/

AntWeb 
http://www.antweb.org/
Click on the Regions dropdown, and you location may be on this site (Nearctic is US and Canada).
This site will provide a list of known ant species in a given area. It is possible to see side views and descriptions of the ants.

Ant Wiki
http://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page

North American Ants (Myrmecos)
http://www.myrmecos....-american-ants/

Taxonomic List of Ant Genera (Alexander Wild)
http://www.alexander...t-of-Ant-Genera

General Ant Keys
http://forum.formicu...ic/269-ant-key/

How to distinguish Lasius, Formica, Camponotus, and Polyergus
http://forum.formicu...ce-differences/

Ants (Formicidae) of the Southeastern United States
http://mississippien...icidaehome.html
A very useful resource for many ants along the Atlantic coast.

Ants (Formidicae) of Alberta, Canada
http://www.biology.u..._22/ganp_22.pdf
 
Camponotus key for United States Southwest
http://forum.formicu...ates-southwest/

Taxonomic Notes on Nearctic Species of Camponotus, Subgenus Myrmentoma
http://antbase.org/a...s/8289/8289.pdf

Key to Myrmecocystus species
http://www.antwiki.o..._species#14-e-w

The Taxonomy, Distribution and Ecology of California Desert Ants
http://www.desertants.org

New World Army Ants
http://www.armyants.org

Alphabetical Index of [Southwest] Ant Genera by Subfamily (Wayne's Word)
http://waynesword.pa...u/AntGenera.htm
 
Harvester Ants of the Pacific Northwest, and beyond. Some other ants, too...
http://www.pogolumina.net/

Hymenoptera Glossary
http://www.hymatol.org/glossary.html

Hymenoptera Online
http://hol.osu.edu/
An excellent resource for tracking down descriptions and other scientific literature, especially when a description is unavailable or inconclusive.

Bayer Environmental Science Ant Identification Guide
https://www.backedby...t ID Guide.ashx

Ant Identification Key 1-node Ants
http://lancaster.unl...s/1nodeants.pdf

Ant Identification Key 2-node Ants
http://lancaster.unl...s/2nodeants.pdf

FMC Professional Solutions Ant Identification Guide
http://www.fmcprosol...et=dsESXNRwKA0=

Antkey | ID guide | introduced ants
http://antkey.org/en

Navajo Nature
http://www.navajonat...avajo-ants.html
Great for ants in the "Four Corners" states. An intersection of Navajo ideals and binomial classification.

Key to Identifying Common French Ants
http://keyants.free.fr/
Very helpful for identifying European ants

Dr Eleanor's Book of Common Ants
http://www.yourwildl...04/BCA_demo.pdf
 
Antmaps.org
http://antmaps.org/?  "

[Mdrogun]

We need you to get an accurate measurement of her. Camponotus decipiens dealates have been found, most likely along with other species similar to them, in July. Problem is, both C. floridanus and C. decipiens look incredibly similar. The best distinguishing feature is the size. I see no evidence to rule out C. decipiens and their very similar cousins yet.

[MadDog]

So a very sad update on all the queens I found. Due to my negligence, none of them made it. I was trying to keep them warm by using a setup used by many reptile enthusiasts. It’s an incubator made from filling a cooler with water and then heating it with an aquarium heater. Then you float a tub with vermiculite in it. The problem with this setup is the humidity in the test tubes were too high and moisture built up in them. Sadly the queens drowned in the moisture built up in the test tubes... Sorry for the delayed update, just been very busy lately.