5 replies to this topic

[PurdueEntomology]

Hey all,

 

If the following request is fine with the sight owner:

 

 

 

I am looking to collect samples of Tapinoma sessile, the Odorous House Ant.  There are thought to be 4 clades, two of which I have easy access to here in eastern Tennessee.  As you may know I am doing research on them. My area will be in taxonomy.  I am needing more samples from across the US of this ant.  I am particularly looking for samples from the west coast: California, Oregon and Washington.  I am also looking for samples from Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and Arizona.  I will take any specimens: workers, gynes, alates particularly males. I will take any samples from the contiguous USA!!!

 

These ants are ubiquitous and have a distinct rotten coconut smell.  They live in leaf litter and are easily found. Collection from nests would be preferred as that allows for the possible collection of alates. 

 

If you need vials 2-4 I may send them to you. We could communicate privately via chat to arrange. 

 

I can provide detailed shipping instructions that would comply with federal and state regulations on shipping specimens.  This will be LEGAL so no worries about doing something illegal.  The instructions for shipping are those that our department at University of Tennessee has confirmed are valid. 

 

Collected ants are best done with aspirators or allowed to crawl on something and placed in collection container, upshot, not to physically damage the specimens.

 

I would need at least 40 workers and any other gynes, alates and males with details of the collection:

GPS coordinates i.e. 36 45' 23.2345''N  [both latitude and longitude please] 

Elevation in feet i.e. 2345ft

Date: MM/DD/YYYY

Collector: Sam Smith

Physical address:  234 Maple Street, Somewhere, Instate, USA 77777

 

Place collection data on card/paper with shipment NOT in vial.

 

80% ethanol if possible, but regular alcohol is fine as I can transfer and replace shipped alcohol upon receipt.. 

 

No collecting on federal or state lands. 

 

If you are able to help then please contact me via chat and send a message.  I will provide details on preparation of samples for shipment as needed.  The more samples from across the US I am able to obtain the more accurate will be the morphological assessment.  

 

Thank you for your help.

[PurdueEntomology]

A follow up:

 

If I there are any of you in the North East: New York, Mass, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, etc that would be wonderful to receive a few samples from that region.  

 

Also, Florida would be great too.

 

Thanks

[Tfisupe]

I live in washington and i have some...email me at tfisupe @gmail.com

[Mdrogun]

I am in Northern Illinois. Would you like samples? Tapinoma sessile are incredibly dominant near me. I also noticed that some of the Tapinoma sessile queens near me appear to have a weird coloration pattern I haven't seen elsewhere. The thorax is brownish-orange? I am colorblind so take what I say with a grain of salt, hahahaha. I also don't know if I haven't seen it elsewhere or if it doesn't exist elsewhere. Here's a video of a colony I collected not too long ago if you wanna see what I'm talking about:

 

I routinely collect colonies with hundreds, or thousands of workers, with dozens of queens. So this would be no issue, I'd gladly send you them for free.

[TennesseeAnts]

I am in Northern Illinois. Would you like samples? Tapinoma sessile are incredibly dominant near me. I also noticed that some of the Tapinoma sessile queens near me appear to have a weird coloration pattern I haven't seen elsewhere. The thorax is brownish-orange? I am colorblind so take what I say with a grain of salt, hahahaha. I also don't know if I haven't seen it elsewhere or if it doesn't exist elsewhere. Here's a video of a colony I collected not too long ago if you wanna see what I'm talking about:
 
I routinely collect colonies with hundreds, or thousands of workers, with dozens of queens. So this would be no issue, I'd gladly send you them for free.

I notice the same color scheme with several colonies I find.

[Canadian anter]

I am in Northern Illinois. Would you like samples? Tapinoma sessile are incredibly dominant near me. I also noticed that some of the Tapinoma sessile queens near me appear to have a weird coloration pattern I haven't seen elsewhere. The thorax is brownish-orange? I am colorblind so take what I say with a grain of salt, hahahaha. I also don't know if I haven't seen it elsewhere or if it doesn't exist elsewhere. Here's a video of a colony I collected not too long ago if you wanna see what I'm talking about:

 

I routinely collect colonies with hundreds, or thousands of workers, with dozens of queens. So this would be no issue, I'd gladly send you them for free.

This happens here too. Others are super dark and sllightly larger