18 replies to this topic

[Dukagora]

Queen 1 - laid eggs as of 7-15-19 - Zeiss took a stab at this one in chat.

1. Location (on a map) of collection: Prescott, AZ

2. Date of collection: 7-11-19
3. Habitat of collection: Scrub Oak
4. Length (from head to gaster): 12-13mm
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: Black appears semi shiny smooth
6. Distinguishing characteristics: 
7. Distinguishing behavior: 
8. Nest description: N/A
9. Nuptial flight time and date: Unknown. Found around 8-9pm on top of door in the home.

 

 

 

Queen 2

1. Location (on a map) of collection: Prescott, AZ

2. Date of collection: 7-13-19
3. Habitat of collection: Scrub Oak
4. Length (from head to gaster): 5 mm
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: Black appears semi shiny
6. Distinguishing characteristics: Small – assumed to be “pavement ant” queen
7. Distinguishing behavior: Wingless on collection
8. Nest description: N/A
9. Nuptial flight time and date: Guessing in the morning. There were many pavement ants strangely gathered outside but I observed no winged ants. I found this queen 1-2 hours after that.

 

 

 

Queen 3 - Best shot of all of the queens featured. Don't know how I pulled that off.

1. Location (on a map) of collection: Prescott, AZ

2. Date of collection: 7-14-19
3. Habitat of collection: Scrub Oak
4. Length (from head to gaster): 11 or 12mm
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: Biocolor. Looks red or orange. Black gaster. appears semi shiny
6. Distinguishing characteristics: 
7. Distinguishing behavior: Seemed rather quick. 2 were observed in the same dirt patch appearing to be pushing each other around when they came close to each other.
8. Nest description: N/A
9. Nuptial flight time and date: Assumed to be about 9am. I was in the drive through at starbucks and they were falling on my truck while I waited.

 

 

 

Queen 4 - Zeiss took a stab at this one in chat.

1. Location (on a map) of collection: Prescott, AZ

2. Date of collection: 7-14-19
3. Habitat of collection: Scrub Oak
4. Length (from head to gaster): 12mm
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: Orangish.  Appears semi shiny to shiny and smooth
6. Distinguishing characteristics:
7. Distinguishing behavior: Seemed rather quick. 2 were observed in the same dirt patch appearing to be pushing each other around when they came close to each other.
8. Nest description: N/A
9. Nuptial flight time and date: Assumed to be about 9am. I was in the drive through at starbucks and they were falling on my truck while I waited.

 

 

Edited by Dukagora, July 17 2019 - 5:38 PM.

[rbarreto]

This is a huge stab in the dark (I am unfamiliar with southern ants). So I'm just going to do this for fun.

The first one looks like Camponotus laevigatus. The second looks to be 5 not 6 mm so I'm going to say Monomorium minimum or ergatogyna. I'm not even gona try the other two.

Edited by rbarreto, July 15 2019 - 9:11 PM.

[nurbs]

Oh wow, first one looks like Liometopum luctuosum. Not laevigatus. They are much larger.

 

Second appears to be Formica, third one Pheidole. Not familiar with ants in your state, so those are an educated guess.

[rbarreto]

Oh wow, first one looks like Liometopum luctuosum. Not laevigatus. They are much larger.

 

Second appears to be Formica, third one Pheidole. Not familiar with ants in your state, so those are an educated guess.

Yea that first one makes more sense, C. laevigatus looks much meatier. You missed one though.

Edited by rbarreto, July 15 2019 - 10:29 PM.

[Zeiss]

I said the first one was Liometopum luctuosum in chat (thanks for the confirmation nurbs).  

 

Queen 2 appears to be Monomorium sp. I can't tell with the pictures you have exactly what species it is.  Do embed your images like you did the others (I'm assuming that's why nurbs didn't look at it).

 

Queen 3 is some sort of Formica sp.

 

Queen 4 is Pheidole sp.?

[TennesseeAnts]

Queen one is definitely Liometopum luctuosum .

Queen two looks to be Monomorium.

Queen three is Formica.

Queen four is definitely Pheidole.

[NickAnter]

I would agree, though you can't be sure it if Formica because the maxillary palps are obscured. Though, it probably is formica. Please tell me if there are any other factors to diatinguish formica from myrmecocystus, you experts.

[nurbs]

I would agree, though you can't be sure it if Formica because the maxillary palps are obscured. Though, it probably is formica. Please tell me if there are any other factors to diatinguish formica from myrmecocystus, you experts.

 

Are we talking the same image? Fourth image down, side profile. Max palps. are not obscured and very short. Myrmecocystus go all the way down to the legs.

 

EDIT: Your queen 2 images are not showing for me. 

 

Edited by nurbs, July 16 2019 - 8:58 AM.

[Dukagora]

I do not know why the 2 images aren't working as the rest. I did them all the same way. "Link" button and direct link. I redid them 5 or 6 times but they won't display like the others.

 

Queen 5

1. Location (on a map) of collection: Prescott, AZ

2. Date of collection: 7-16-19
3. Habitat of collection: Office - Scrub Oak
4. Length (from head to gaster): 13mm - Possibly 14mm based on the position to the ruler.
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: Orange!
6. Distinguishing characteristics:
7. Distinguishing behavior: sitting on the floor in the hallway not moving at the time.
8. Nest description: N/A
9. Nuptial flight time and date: Unknown. Found around 7:30 am at work. Probably came in the night before under one of the office doors.

 

Apparently she was thirsty so it made these photos a bit easier to get.

 

 

 

annnnnd these photos won't embed either. No clue.

 

Sorry I tried these several times as well and they won't embed. Use the same method as I did for the ones that embedded right as well. Having links drives me nuts but I don't know how to make it work correctly and I have to go to work.

 

Thanks for the ID's everyone!

Edited by Dukagora, July 17 2019 - 5:39 PM.

[NickAnter]

Oh, I thought that palps were being obscured by the legs. Nevermind, I was stupid. Now that i look at it again, I can clearly see that they end before the legs.

Edited by NickAnter, July 17 2019 - 7:40 AM.

[dspdrew]

Did there happen to be any pine trees around where that first one was found? Just curious. I think it looks like L. luctuosum as well.

[Dukagora]

so dspdrew......sort of?

 

There is one pine tree growing in my yard, otherwise its scrub oak as far as I can tell. I am only a few miles from Prescott national forest which is certainly pine.

Edited by Dukagora, July 17 2019 - 5:40 PM.

[Dukagora]

Anyone have any idea why Queen 5 and Queen 2 photos won't embed in this thread? I did them all the same way and it just won't work. I pasted them by right clicking and also control V and no matter what I do with those photos....no luck.

 

 

Edit: So I was using "Link" and then copying "directlink"(chain link with a green dot) from Imgur. I did it for all the photos here and it worked for most. Queen 2 and 5 I am not sure why it failed. I have edited it to make them visible by just scrolling through. Can someone please confirm it displays like that for them also? I managed to get them to display correctly, at least on my end, by using "Image"(picture icon) instead.

Edited by Dukagora, July 17 2019 - 5:37 PM.

[Dukagora]

.

Edited by Dukagora, July 17 2019 - 5:31 PM.

[YsTheAnt]

Queen five appears to be some sort of Camponotus in the festinatus family/group (I am unsure of the true taxon term).

That Monomorium queen may be Monomorium eratogyna, as if it doesn't have wing scars either it could be an eragatoid queen.

Edited by YsTheAnt, July 18 2019 - 7:59 AM.

[gcsnelling]

L. luctuosum would be my bet, it can be quite common out that way. The yellow Camponotus is indeed in the C. festinatus group. There are I think three Monomorium species recognized in Arizona, all virtually identical but defined by elevational gradient.

[Dukagora]

Thanks for the IDs. So far only Queens 1 and 3 have laid eggs. If that is C. festinatus is there anything that she might prefer to encourage egg laying? How about the other queens who currently arent laying? Maybe it just takes time? Queen 5 has done some extensive cotton pulling on the exit side but I can't see any eggs. Wondering if she maybe needs some sort of material. Maybe some dirt or wood?

I am actually quite certain this is C. festinatus but wondered about C. fragilis. The antwiki description matches very well with where I have found ants that look similar to this in my yard. Rocky hillside under rocks. I am not sure how well a tube mimics this apparently ideal condition but I suspect it doesnt do a very good job of it.

Edited by Dukagora, July 19 2019 - 9:01 PM.

[Dukagora]

Also if I read right is L. luctuosum exceptionally fond of pine? If so, would any of you be worried about keeping a species that loves pine as a nesting material in a building likely made of pine 2x4s? The queens live in my prestigious basement with exposed 2x4s. If a species like this does live in pine regularly, I highly doubt that if the 2x4s were appealing, that the presence of drywall over them would stop them from finding it but I have to wonder.

Oh and one thing I forgot for dspdrew.

I forgot I have quite a bit of pine chopped/split down from a tree I cut down about 2 years ago in the backyard. I don't think it would be an ideal nesting spot for this species but I guess you never know. The wood gets constant full sun so would likely be quite hot and dry.

Edited by Dukagora, July 19 2019 - 8:58 PM.

[dspdrew]

Also if I read right is L. luctuosum exceptionally fond of pine? If so, would any of you be worried about keeping a species that loves pine as a nesting material in a building likely made of pine 2x4s? The queens live in my prestigious basement with exposed 2x4s. If a species like this does live in pine regularly, I highly doubt that if the 2x4s were appealing, that the presence of drywall over them would stop them from finding it but I have to wonder.

Oh and one thing I forgot for dspdrew.

I forgot I have quite a bit of pine chopped/split down from a tree I cut down about 2 years ago in the backyard. I don't think it would be an ideal nesting spot for this species but I guess you never know. The wood gets constant full sun so would likely be quite hot and dry.

 

I don't know that much about them, but I know they are called Pine Tree Ants, and around pine trees is where I have always found them.