Twentynine Palms, CA, USA
7/24/2019
Body:
1. Location of collection: Desert field, Twentynine Palms, CA, USA. It was darting to get out of the light and away from me. It moved very fast..
2. Date of collection: 7/23/2019, at about 7:30pm.
3. Habitat of collection: It was a vacant piece of land in the desert along a wash. There was desert type of plants, but not dense. This piece of land was a long thin strip that ran between the wash and a house. She was found about 20 feet from the road.
4. Length: 11mm to 12mm.
5. Coloration, hue, pattern and texture: Deep dark red or brown on the head and thorax, waist has petiole and postpetiole. The gaster is lighter at the area where it joins the waist and then gets dark. She has a large square head, with hair under neath it that comes from the bottom back of her head to the mandibles. Her body is pretty much covered with hair.
6. Distinguishing characteristics: Covered with hair, HUGE mandibles and very aggressive. It was hard to get side view pictures, because she would square off with me and stand on her hind legs every time I changed the angle.
7. Anything else distinctive: I looked for 3 more hours and found many queens, but none like her.
8. Nest description: Unknown
9. Nuptial flight time and date: Unknown.
