5-10-2014

On Saturday 5-3-2014 I found this Camponotus queen wandering on a dirt road up in a place called Little Thomas Mountain in the San Jacinto Mountains. It was a few hours after dark, and the temperature was in the 50's.

ID Thread: https://www.formicul...s-ca-6-21-2014/

1. Location of collection: Little Thomas Mountain, San Jacinto Mountains, California.
2. Date of collection: 5-3-2014.
3. Habitat of collection: Pine/Oak Forest.
4. Length (from head to gaster): 11mm.
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: All black with dark brown legs; yellow hairs, numerous on cheeks.
6. Distinguishing characteristics: No clypeal carina or notch.










Edit: I have added microscope pictures of this queen since it died.

Edit: I have removed my guess as to the ID of this queen, since I have recently found a C. quercicola queen, and there are just too many differences.

Edited by dspdrew, September 7 2023 - 5:31 PM.

Update 5-29-2014
 
This queen laid eggs, and then ate them all. She went for a week or so with nothing, and then now has laid more eggs again.

Any Update?

Update 7-8-2014
 
Finally the queen has some brood that is developing.    At this point she has two cocooned pupae, and a few larvae. There is some debate over what species she really is--or even genus, but at this point I can't see what else she could possibly be other than C. quercicola, even though she is quite small for one of those. We'll get a much better idea once her workers eclose.

I definitely have one of these too Drew. It came from Little Thomas mountan. It's probably eaten a hundred eggs by now. Last week I stuck her in the warmest spot I can find and am leaving her undisturbed for a few weeks. Hopefully she will be a good girl now.

Update 7-19-2014
 
The queen's first nanitic eclosed yesterday and it's definitely Camponotus. I'm still not sure what species it is though, because the nanitic worker is only about 4 mm in length.
 

 

 

 

I want a Camponotus! Very jealous of all your journals though still.

What has happened?

She never finished helping the worker eclose, and it died. I think she then ate the other one again, so she has nothing now.

or even genus

What else would she have been?

Well it was unclear enough for James C. Trager to think she was possibly Formica at one point.

May I ask what ant queens do with the cotton? They seem to ... sort of braid it? For fun? Or maybe sucking water out of it?

Edited by dean_k, October 18 2014 - 8:58 AM.

They just keep pulling at it for reasons I don't exactly know. Maybe they're trying to dig toward the moisture more? Maybe they're trying to dispose of parts of it? Could be lots of things.

how big is that queen?

Camponotus queens range from 11-18mm I think.

damn haha!

I just updated the original post. This one is about 11mm.

That is actually pretty small for a Camponotus!

Yeah... pretty small for a C. quercicola.