199 replies to this topic

[RushmoreAnts]

Pinkomyrmex floyderus 

 

Pinkomyrmex floyderus is a species of ant in the subfamily Pinkocidinae. It is known to be extremely cryptic, although extremely common. It nests in the water vapor which forms clouds, and preys on humpback whales. 

 

Identification

 

Exactly 1 erect hair equally distributed among all three antennal scapes. This species has 18 petiole nodes. Queens have anywhere between 29 and 47 ocelli on their gasters. Workers possess 5 clypeae. 

 

Distribution

 

This species originated on the island Tala'wahihitinowobajunowakiki'nobulukinilokonobanijonobini'al'no'jajonihihinikokib'ninohini, and currently can be found on all continents, including Antarctica. 

 

Biology

 

This species has been known to nest in the vapor of clouds, and preys primarily on humpback whales. "From what we known of their nesting behavior, we can conclude that Pinkomyrmex will readily nest at high elevations, where it is extremely moist. This altitude also puts colonies in a strategic position to hunt their favorite prey, that being humpback whales, respectively." - Myrmes & Myrm, 2539 

 

P. floyderus has also been known to prey on grizzly bears and anacondas in laboratory settings, yet this species prefers humpback whales over all else.

 

Nuptial flights occur in December-January in temperate regions, in which queens will mate with 1/2 a male, and then go on a migratory journey to Venus, on which they found their colonies. After the colony reaches exactly 184.29047 workers, colonies will migrate back to Earth and find a suitable cloud to nest in. 

 

Workers of this species will make high pitched chirping noises, which humans are unable to detect. These noises are known to cause seismic activity and thunderstorms, as the clouds react to the vibrations by becoming positively and negatively charged, causing lightning. Without these ants, lightning would not be possible. 

 

It is also commonly believed that a subspecies, Pinkomyrmex floyderus bermudensis, exists primarily in the Bermuda Triangle, in which is preys on passing ships and aircraft. 

 

These ants also produce radioactive uranium waste byproducts, which is deposited in rocks and caves, which serve as their garbage sites. Humans have since accessed these garbage dumps and created weapons out of them. 

 

This species was also responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs, as the ants would hunt them to extinction from above. 
 

 

Castes

 

Workers (their locations are represented by the arrows)

 

Queen

 

[Antkid12]

[RushmoreAnts]

Odontomachus jejuensis 

 

Odontomachus jejuensis is a species of ant in the subfamily Ponerinae. It is a tramp species, originating on the sub-tropical Korean island of Jeju, and has since spread worldwide.

 

Distribution

 

This species was the dominant ant species on the South Korean island province of Jeju for several thousand years. At around 1200, certain colonies formed a genetic mutation which allowed polygyne. This mutation allowed these colonies and their descendents to outcompete the monogynous majority throughout the island. By 1700, they had developed a strict gyne caste system, see below in 'Biology'. In the 1700s, once this caste system had developed, the ants were exported to the Korean mainland. Of course surviving winter was difficult for them, yet after about 50 years of barely hanging on, they adapted, and became a temperate species, and thrive in cold and warm climates alike. They then spread across Korea and into China and Japan, and in the mid 1800s were exported to the United States and beyond. Their presence in the US has been minimal until now, as they are finally gaining significant footing in many areas of the US. 

 

Biology

 

Caste system

There are two distinct castes of queens, officially known as 'macrogynes' and 'microgynes', commonly called 'alpha queens' and 'beta queens'. Alpha queens are larger, at around 10 mm, and are strictly monogynous towards other alpha queens, yet will definitely tolerate many beta queens, which are highly polygynous. To put it simply, a single colony has 1 alpha and many betas. Alpha queens are also much more productive than beta queens. Beta queens are around 7-8 mm, and do much work around the colony. Colonies can grow up to 3,000 workers due to this polygynous system. 

 

Workers are 4-7 mm, and have very complex social structures. For example, like in other Odontomachus, workers establish a strict hierarchy system, in which workers compete for dominance. Workers can be promoted or demoted in rank during competitions with other workers. Usually the oldest workers are more dominant, while being quite large can be of an advantage as well. 

 

However, workers aren't all about dominance. They go beyond the normal system, and actually create friend groups, in which many workers which like each other will oftentimes perform activities together, and compete with rival groups. Workers have individual pheromones which distinguish them, as they are primitive ants. Individual workers can also decide that they don't particularly care for one another, and therefore memorize workers which they will pick a fight with whenever they're around each other. Fighting between individuals or friend groups or for dominance usually consists of workers tugging on limbs and locking mandibles in a show of strength. Actual aggressive behavior against rival colonies and prey/predators involves actually jaw-snapping and stinging. 

 

Foraging habits

 

Workers will often tandem run while foraging. Friend groups will oftentimes forage together, with the most dominant worker leading them. Workers have the ability to spring forwards at their food, and will use their jaws to spring backwards and bite at the same time. However, these ants also appreciate flower nectar as well as insects. Since these colonies are primitive and don't grow as large as most native species, they don't consume an amount of resources which is threatening to an ecosystem.

 

Territorialism

 

They are very territorial, however they ignore most native species and let them have all the food and space they need, as they concentrate most of their territorialism on rival colonies of the same species. But large, mature native colonies which are a threat to their colony are oftentimes attacked. Usually these colonies are over 10,000 workers, and the O. jejuensis colony can feel that it's being outcompeted for resources. If this occurs, at least half the colony will storm the enemy nest, as these workers are vastly superior to most natives in terms of weaponry and the thickness of the exoskeleton. They will eat many of the workers and brood, yet they rarely kill the colony, just weaken it enough so that they can get enough food for themselves. When invading the Korean mainland, they took a particular dislike to Tetramorium tsushimae and it's tyraneously dominant tendencies. Therefore they adapted by actively attacking Tetramorium colonies, making them beneficial in America, as they destroy or weaken Tetramorium colonies and help reestablish a native balance. 

 

Colonies will also compete with rival colonies, with battles that make Tetramorium wars look like tea parties. The worker who can bite another usually wins, as the trap-jaw splits the other worker in at least two pieces. Stingers are also used during fighting. Human spectators to these wars often note that it's not just bodies that are scattered across the battlefield, but individual limbs, heads, mesosomas, and gasters. The defeated colony will be stripped of its brood, it's alpha queen killed, and the beta queens are dragged back to the victor's nest and become part of their colony. All workers are slaughtered, except for the callows. 

 

Nesting habits

 

Colonies will dig deep nests, usually no more than 6 inches in diameter, yet can be up to 8 feet deep in mature colonies. These ants prefer open areas, like their natural habitat on Jeju Island, and thus do well in suburban and urban environments (besides, there's plenty of Tetramorium to eat  ). 

 

Nuptial flights & colony founding

 

Nuptial flights occur in early May if weather permits. Beta queens mate with one male each, while alpha queens mate with many males. Alpha queens release pheromones which attract beta queens. Once the alpha queen has both mated and collected enough beta queens (at least 5), they tandem run in search of a nesting site. Once found, they will dig a shallow claustral cell. The alpha queen will usually stay in the nest while the beta queens forage for food. The alpha queen assists with brood tending somewhat, yet the beta queens still do most of the work. 10-20 nanitics is common. Egg to worker usually takes 10-12 months, as workers are extremely well built, and can live from 4-6 years. It usually takes 5 years for a colony to reach a mature size, i.e. exceeding 1,000 workers. It is then they start producing all forms of alates. 

[Antkid12]

Nice!

[TechAnt]

Solenopsis nicevicta

The nice version of Solenopsis invicta, it has only been documented by a research group called 'antkeeper's imagination.'

[NickAnter]

   Lasius idahoensis

 

Overview and Identification

 

Lasius idahoensis is a species that is endemic to Idaho and Montana, and is not easily confused with other Lasius species in the region. This is because it is unusually shiny, ebony brown in color, and is slightly larger than the other niger group Lasius in the region. It is morphologically similar to the Eurasian Lasius fuliginosus, but, is not known to be a parasitic species. The queens are no larger than that of Lasius americanus, again not being easily confused, due to their dark color, and lack of pubescence.

 

 Biology

 

Lasius idahoensis nests only under rotting logs in the North of Idaho and Montana. It is not a dominant species, with colonies only reaching a couple thousand workers. They are strictly nocturnal, and tend aphids. Their primary insect prey is unknown, as they are not very common. They fly along with the Camponotus in their area, which usually tends to be in May or June. The queens are very strictly monogynous, and colonies are extremely aggressive to other colonies of their species. It is suspected that their tunnels run very deep, as a large colony was excavated, and there were tunnels over 10 feet below the surface. This may suggest that this species does not hibernate, but, instead does not forage above ground, and simply tends root aphids underground. This is merely speculation however, as not root aphids have been found in the nest.

 

Distribution

 

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1Zcu6Igqf8CReXKS9BQkYVTn6Ull-8KR6&usp=sharing

 

This species was discovered nearly 100 years ago, by a myrmecologist who's name has been forgotten.

[RushmoreAnts]

Solenopsis montanus

 

Solenopsis montanus is a species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is common throughout the mountain ranges of the western United States, where it is native. It was once considered a member of the molesta species group, yet has been recently excluded, and is currently not affiliated with any species group or subgenus. This species has impressive majors, and large queens, yet workers are 1-2 mm long, and almost indistinguishable from S. molesta.

 

Identification
 

Workers are almost identical to S. molesta physically, and a genetical analysis is necessary to distinguish them. However, queens of this species are large and red, measuring at about 9-10 mm in length. They resemble S. geminata queens, yet are noticeably larger and bulkier. The majors are 5-8 mm in length, and have large heads. They are bright red in color like the queens.  When Myrmecology was relatively new in America, this species was classified in the genus Pheidole. 

 

Distribution

 

This species is found in all ranges of the Rocky Mountains, as well as the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, the Cascades of Washington and Oregon, and the Black Hills of South Dakota. They are also present in northern Arizona and New Mexico. 

 

NEW

Map:

Solenopsis montanus distribution

 

Biology

 

This species is polygynous, with nests often containing dozens of queens. Queens are very productive, and colonies can grow into the hundreds of thousands. Workers oftentimes display 'thief ant' behavior, yet are more reliant on foraging than the molesta group. Colonies grow fast, reaching maturity in as little as 2 years. They have developed a survival strategy which allows them to operate on minimal food, and thus do not consume an unbalanced amount of resources from the environment. Like Pogonomyrmex, they will not waste one scrap of nutrients, and therefore are very efficient and biologically beneficial. Majors will do most of the foraging. 

 

Nuptial flights occur in early August, and queens will often group together to found colonies. Nests are shallow, and usually under stones. 
 

Edited by AntsDakota, July 29 2020 - 7:56 AM.

[NickAnter]

Solenopsis montanus

 

Solenopsis montanus is a species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is common throughout the mountain ranges of the western United States, where it is native. It was once considered a member of the molesta species group, yet has been recently excluded, and is currently not affiliated with any species group or subgenus. This species has impressive majors, and large queens, yet workers are 1-2 mm long, and almost indistinguishable from S. molesta.

 

Identification
 

Workers are almost identical to S. molesta physically, and a genetical analysis is necessary to distinguish them. However, queens of this species are large and red, measuring at about 9-10 mm in length. They resemble S. geminata queens, yet are noticeably larger and bulkier. The majors are 5-8 mm in length, and have large heads. They are bright red in color like the queens.  When Myrmecology was relatively new in America, this species was classified in the genus Pheidole. 

 

Distribution

 

This species is found in all ranges of the Rocky Mountains, as well as the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, the Cascades of Washington and Oregon, and the Black Hills of South Dakota. They are also present in northern Arizona and New Mexico. 

 

Biology

 

This species is polygynous, with nests often containing dozens of queens. Queens are very productive, and colonies can grow into the hundreds of thousands. Workers oftentimes display 'thief ant' behavior, yet are more reliant on foraging than the molesta group. Colonies grow fast, reaching maturity in as little as 2 years. They have developed a survival strategy which allows them to operate on minimal food, and thus do not consume an unbalanced amount of resources from the environment. Like Pogonomyrmex, they will not waste one scrap of nutrients, and therefore are very efficient and biologically beneficial. Majors will do most of the foraging. 

 

Nuptial flights occur in early August, and queens will often group together to found colonies. Nests are shallow, and usually under stones. 
 

Sounds like a Carebara sp.

[TechAnt]

Please rate this ant lore, my first try in doing stuff like this lol:

Atta magnum

Overview

Atta magnum is in the subfamily Myrmicinae, which is very similar looking to it’s sister species, Atta cephalotes. This species is native to the jungles of Brazil, and the species was introduced by a buyer from Thailand, they have been spotted on the Burma / Thailand border since 2000, they arrived from a Thai buyer who admitted the colonies he purchased escaped.

Identification

These ants' sister species, Atta cephalotes (mentioned previously), look almost identical in most features. The only characteristics are the bright redish-yellow color of Atta magnum, the big size of the ants compared to other Atta (Minor: 6-8 mm, Worker: 13-14 mm, Drone: 13 mm, Median: 15 mm, Major: 16-17 mm, Queen: 17-19 mm), and consistently more hairs then Atta cephalotes. The big size, even gigantic size is why they are called Atta magnum as magnum translates (English to Latin) to big.

Reproduction

Reproductive flights begin in the middle of July and end in late August, only a few mated queens have even been photographed, reported, and found, one of which lived in a laboratory for 19 years, cut short due to a disease wiping out the colony. Only these alates show what they look like clearly, as most colonies are kept private. Showing a big bulky body and head, thin legs, a fairly large set of wings. Meanwhile, the males have a thin body with a narrow head, long and thin eyes, a pointed gaster, and small wings which look like it could not carry it far, but it has been used via GPS tracking that males and young queens can go up to 30 miles away from their nest before becoming exhausted, and dying.

Biology

This species is in most cases, monygonus and plemetropic, however in some cases it has been found that there have been a couple polygonus colonies. Entomologists and myrmecologists conducted a study on several young colonies on Atta magnum, finding mostly one queen colonies, but in a few some had multiple queens. This study was repeated on the Burma / Thailand border, finding many more multi queen colonies where the most found was 3 queens in one nest. These ants, like other Atta spp. cut leaves to feed to fungus. These ants use the same fungus as Atta cephalotes to feed on. They have been found to live in wood hollows and dirt. Dirt mounds often look like a crater (similar to Myrmecocystus nest entrances). These nests are generally shallow for small colonies, not being further than a foot or two beneath the surface of dirt. In mature colonies, these ants expand their nests many feet down below the surface. Atta magnum often goes head to head with many army ant species (references: Nomamyrmex esenbeckii, Labidus praedator, Eciton hamatum, Eciton burchellii) in its native home, mature colonies can often hold their ground enough for the army ants to go away. Younger colonies use the barricade method some ants use when encountering army ants.

Foraging

In young colonies, the young magnum workers rush out to grab or cut a leaf and quickly drag it back into the nest. In newly founded colonies with only a few workers, they always have their entrance barricaded when not gathering food. At some point, the workers will open up the entrance and form trails of leaf gatherers once the colony is big enough in numbers. These ants are very conservative of their resources, as losing a single food source or one worker could end the colony. Being like this makes them not very picky in terms of food, though they grab the best leaves when they can. Sometimes it has been seen they grab leaves with holes or crumpled parts just to get in the nest quickly. It has also been reported these ants may tend to tree aphids, but this is not verified yet.

Interesting Behaviors & Predators

These ants like to hang from the ceiling in nests, and they put the brood in little clumps. The single queens and majors have also been known to open their jaws a bit when feeling threatened. Small workers climb on top of large predators and bite on it from above while the bigger workers go head to head with it.

Edited by TechAnt, July 28 2020 - 11:57 AM.

[Antkid12]

Please rate this ant lore, my first try in doing stuff like this lol:

Atta magnum

Overview

Atta magnum is in the subfamily Myrmicinae, which is very similar looking to it’s sister species, Atta cephalotes. This species is native to the jungles of Brazil, and the species was introduced by a buyer from Thailand, they have been spotted on the Burma / Thailand border since 2000, they arrived from a Thai buyer who admitted the colonies he purchased escaped.

Identification

These ants' sister species, Atta cephalotes (mentioned previously), look almost identical in most features. The only characteristics are the bright redish-yellow color of Atta magnum, the big size of the ants compared to other Atta (Minor: 6-8 mm, Worker: 13-14 mm, Drone: 13 mm, Median: 15 mm, Major: 16-17 mm, Queen: 17-19 mm), and consistently more hairs then Atta cephalotes. The big size, even gigantic size is why they are called Atta magnum as magnum translates (English to Latin) to big.

Reproduction

Reproductive flights begin in the middle of July and end in late August, only a few mated queens have even been photographed, reported, and found, one of which lived in a laboratory for 19 years, cut short due to a disease wiping out the colony. Only these alates show what they look like clearly, as most colonies are kept private. Showing a big bulky body and head, thin legs, a fairly large set of wings. Meanwhile, the males have a thin body with a narrow head, long and thin eyes, a pointed gaster, and small wings which look like it could not carry it far, but it has been used via GPS tracking that males and young queens can go up to 30 miles away from their nest before becoming exhausted, and dying.

Biology

This species is in most cases, monygonus and plemetropic, however in some cases it has been found that there have been a couple polygonus colonies. Entomologists and myrmecologists conducted a study on several young colonies on Atta magnum, finding mostly one queen colonies, but in a few some had multiple queens. This study was repeated on the Burma / Thailand border, finding many more multi queen colonies where the most found was 3 queens in one nest. These ants, like other Atta spp. cut leaves to feed to fungus. These ants use the same fungus as Atta cephalotes to feed on. They have been found to live in wood hollows and dirt. Dirt mounds often look like a crater (similar to Myrmecocystus nest entrances). These nests are generally shallow for small colonies, not being further than a foot or two beneath the surface of dirt. In mature colonies, these ants expand their nests many feet down below the surface. Atta magnum often goes head to head with many army ant species (references: Nomamyrmex esenbeckii, Labidus praedator, Eciton hamatum, Eciton burchellii) in its native home, mature colonies can often hold their ground enough for the army ants to go away. Younger colonies use the barricade method some ants use when encountering army ants.

Foraging

In young colonies, the young magnum workers rush out to grab or cut a leaf and quickly drag it back into the nest. In newly founded colonies with only a few workers, they always have their entrance barricaded when not gathering food. At some point, the workers will open up the entrance and form trails of leaf gatherers once the colony is big enough in numbers. These ants are very conservative of their resources, as losing a single food source or one worker could end the colony. Being like this makes them not very picky in terms of food, though they grab the best leaves when they can. Sometimes it has been seen they grab leaves with holes or crumpled parts just to get in the nest quickly. It has also been reported these ants may tend to tree aphids, but this is not verified yet.

Interesting Behaviors & Predators

These ants like to hang from the ceiling in nests, and they put the brood in little clumps. The single queens and majors have also been known to open their jaws a bit when feeling threatened. Small workers climb on top of large predators and bite on it from above while the bigger workers go head to head with it.

Atta texana are about the same size.

[RushmoreAnts]

 

Solenopsis montanus

 

Solenopsis montanus is a species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is common throughout the mountain ranges of the western United States, where it is native. It was once considered a member of the molesta species group, yet has been recently excluded, and is currently not affiliated with any species group or subgenus. This species has impressive majors, and large queens, yet workers are 1-2 mm long, and almost indistinguishable from S. molesta.

 

Identification
 

Workers are almost identical to S. molesta physically, and a genetical analysis is necessary to distinguish them. However, queens of this species are large and red, measuring at about 9-10 mm in length. They resemble S. geminata queens, yet are noticeably larger and bulkier. The majors are 5-8 mm in length, and have large heads. They are bright red in color like the queens.  When Myrmecology was relatively new in America, this species was classified in the genus Pheidole. 

 

Distribution

 

This species is found in all ranges of the Rocky Mountains, as well as the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, the Cascades of Washington and Oregon, and the Black Hills of South Dakota. They are also present in northern Arizona and New Mexico. 

 

Biology

 

This species is polygynous, with nests often containing dozens of queens. Queens are very productive, and colonies can grow into the hundreds of thousands. Workers oftentimes display 'thief ant' behavior, yet are more reliant on foraging than the molesta group. Colonies grow fast, reaching maturity in as little as 2 years. They have developed a survival strategy which allows them to operate on minimal food, and thus do not consume an unbalanced amount of resources from the environment. Like Pogonomyrmex, they will not waste one scrap of nutrients, and therefore are very efficient and biologically beneficial. Majors will do most of the foraging. 

 

Nuptial flights occur in early August, and queens will often group together to found colonies. Nests are shallow, and usually under stones. 
 

Sounds like a Carebara sp.

 

Now that you mention it, it does. However usually Carebara queens are usually larger than 10 mm, correct?

[NickAnter]

Actually many of the smaller species have queens smaller, and about that size.

[TechAnt]

 

Please rate this ant lore, my first try in doing stuff like this lol:

Atta magnum

Overview

Atta magnum is in the subfamily Myrmicinae, which is very similar looking to it’s sister species, Atta cephalotes. This species is native to the jungles of Brazil, and the species was introduced by a buyer from Thailand, they have been spotted on the Burma / Thailand border since 2000, they arrived from a Thai buyer who admitted the colonies he purchased escaped.

Identification

These ants' sister species, Atta cephalotes (mentioned previously), look almost identical in most features. The only characteristics are the bright redish-yellow color of Atta magnum, the big size of the ants compared to other Atta (Minor: 6-8 mm, Worker: 13-14 mm, Drone: 13 mm, Median: 15 mm, Major: 16-17 mm, Queen: 17-19 mm), and consistently more hairs then Atta cephalotes. The big size, even gigantic size is why they are called Atta magnum as magnum translates (English to Latin) to big.

Reproduction

Reproductive flights begin in the middle of July and end in late August, only a few mated queens have even been photographed, reported, and found, one of which lived in a laboratory for 19 years, cut short due to a disease wiping out the colony. Only these alates show what they look like clearly, as most colonies are kept private. Showing a big bulky body and head, thin legs, a fairly large set of wings. Meanwhile, the males have a thin body with a narrow head, long and thin eyes, a pointed gaster, and small wings which look like it could not carry it far, but it has been used via GPS tracking that males and young queens can go up to 30 miles away from their nest before becoming exhausted, and dying.

Biology

This species is in most cases, monygonus and plemetropic, however in some cases it has been found that there have been a couple polygonus colonies. Entomologists and myrmecologists conducted a study on several young colonies on Atta magnum, finding mostly one queen colonies, but in a few some had multiple queens. This study was repeated on the Burma / Thailand border, finding many more multi queen colonies where the most found was 3 queens in one nest. These ants, like other Atta spp. cut leaves to feed to fungus. These ants use the same fungus as Atta cephalotes to feed on. They have been found to live in wood hollows and dirt. Dirt mounds often look like a crater (similar to Myrmecocystus nest entrances). These nests are generally shallow for small colonies, not being further than a foot or two beneath the surface of dirt. In mature colonies, these ants expand their nests many feet down below the surface. Atta magnum often goes head to head with many army ant species (references: Nomamyrmex esenbeckii, Labidus praedator, Eciton hamatum, Eciton burchellii) in its native home, mature colonies can often hold their ground enough for the army ants to go away. Younger colonies use the barricade method some ants use when encountering army ants.

Foraging

In young colonies, the young magnum workers rush out to grab or cut a leaf and quickly drag it back into the nest. In newly founded colonies with only a few workers, they always have their entrance barricaded when not gathering food. At some point, the workers will open up the entrance and form trails of leaf gatherers once the colony is big enough in numbers. These ants are very conservative of their resources, as losing a single food source or one worker could end the colony. Being like this makes them not very picky in terms of food, though they grab the best leaves when they can. Sometimes it has been seen they grab leaves with holes or crumpled parts just to get in the nest quickly. It has also been reported these ants may tend to tree aphids, but this is not verified yet.

Interesting Behaviors & Predators

These ants like to hang from the ceiling in nests, and they put the brood in little clumps. The single queens and majors have also been known to open their jaws a bit when feeling threatened. Small workers climb on top of large predators and bite on it from above while the bigger workers go head to head with it.

Atta texana are about the same size

Meh, I tried.

[RushmoreAnts]

Actually many of the smaller species have queens smaller, and about that size.

Hmm..... must have just been looking at diversa, castanea, vividua, affinis, and longii, then and made a premature generalization. 

[NickAnter]

Carebara is one of those genera where it is often represented by just a few iconic species, and all the rest are forgotten. Even I didn't know about this until fairly recently.

[Kaelwizard]

Aphaenogaster grallae

Aphaenogaster grallae is a rare species native to North America. Its species name, grallae, is the Latin word for stilts. It is called this because it has such incredibly long legs (twice as long as its body length!). Naturally, many people refer to it as the Stilt-legged Ant.

Biology

This species is a medium to large ant, roughly 5-7mm for the workers,10-12mm for the queens, and roughly 8-9mm for the males. Colonies are founded with a singly queen, but practice secondary polygyny and will accept dealates into the colony once it reaches a sizable amount of workers. Pleometropic groups are not uncommon. Mature colonies normally only contain up to 1,000 workers. Workers often forage in groups because their long legs make it easy for other ants to grab them and spray acid on them or sting them. By staying in groups they can help any worker that gets attacked. The amount of workers in a group will increase as the colony workforce does. Foraging groups can get up to 8-10 workers, so people observing them may notice these groups foraging fairly easily.

Nuptial flights occur in late August and queens generally hibernate before founding.

Edited by Kaelwizard, July 28 2020 - 5:40 PM.

[NickAnter]

Formica serpens

 

Overview

 

Formica serpens, or snake, nests only in the land right next to the Snake River in Southern Idaho. It is a parasitic species, whose host is almost any species in the fusca group.

 

Biology

 

Formica serpens nests under stones, with only a small amount of thatch covering the entrance. Besides that, it is almost identical to F. obscuripes, being easily confused for them by pest control. They tend aphids, are extremely aggressive, and are dominant in their area.

 

Identification

 

Besides the fact that they nest under stones, and have small thatching amounts, they are still easily separated from obscuripes by a small red dot on the underside of the gaster, easily visible upon magnification. Other than those two differences serpens and obscuripes are almost entirely identical.

 

Distribution

See map listed above.

[ANTS_KL]

I shall revive epic thread because am cool

Dracomyrmex ignis

Overview
Belonging in the monotypic genus Dracomyrmex, these ants origins and phylogeny are unknown. It is predatory, rarely needing to consume carbohydrates.

Biology
This species of ant is arboreal and has a unique ability. Special glands on their head can shoot out long streams of highly corrosive acid. It is unknown what these glands evolved from, and they function similarly to the glands in the abdomen of a Bombardier Beetle. They are iridescent green and blue. Colonies number in the thousands, and are extremely aggressive hunters. Their diet typically consists of large beetles and flying insects. They have ergatoid queens that are of similar size to the workers, at about 12-14 mm. 

Reproduction
New gynes stand outside their nests and release strong pheromones that attract males flying nearby. After mating with 3-4 males, she will depart alone and found a colony semi-claustrally. 

Identification
Fairly simple. A bright blue ant covered in an absurd amount of spines. It has large oval-shaped eyes as well.

[ColAnt735]

I've decided to create something:

 

Alright this is going to be gross

Infansmyrmex infans

 

Overview

Infansmyrmex infans is located globally and is highly specialised as their diet mainly consists of tooth enamel,mucus,blood, and flesh.

Biology

Infansmyrmex infans nests in highly moist environments generally inside mammals including but not limited to saliva glands ,larynx, the right or left lung and many more. They are highly polygynous and merge colonies regularly. They are a dull grey with a pink head and black legs. Infansmyrmex infans is highly cautious around food often circling the food until these ants build up the courage to go in and take it for the colony. The workers of this species measure in at 5 micrometres and the queens measure in at 20 micrometres. These ants number in the billions per colony and have been the leading causes of falty lungs due to their habit of spamming random formic acid whenever they want.

Distribution 

Infansmyrmex infans is located globally and is the most invasive species on the planet and is located on every continent and landmass with the exception of Antarctica.

 

Photo:

Edited by ColAnt735, April 13 2022 - 4:44 AM.

[ZTYguy]

Atta californica 

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online

 

 

Jump to navigationJump to search

Atta californica Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Formicidae Subfamily: Myrmicinae Tribe: Attini Genus: Atta Species: A. californica Binomial name Atta californica 
(Buckley, 1860)

Specimen Label

Contents

• 1Photo Gallery
• 2Identification
  • 2.1Identification Keys including this Taxon
• 3Distribution
  • 3.1Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
  • 3.2Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
  • 3.3Distribution based on AntMaps
  • 3.4Distribution based on AntWeb specimens
  • 3.5Countries Occupied
• 4Biology
  • 4.1Association with Other Organisms
  • 4.2Flight Period
  • 4.3Life History Traits
• 5Castes
• 6Nomenclature
  • 6.1Description
• 7References
• 8References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Photo Gallery

• 

   

  A queen leafcutter ant searches for a nesting site after her first and only mating flight. McKinney Roughs Nature Park, Texas. Photo by Alex Wild.
• 

   

  A male Atta californica falls to the ground after a dawn mating flight. Austin, Texas, USA. Photo by Alex Wild.

Identification Identification Keys including this Taxon

Key to US Atta species

Distribution Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 38.342773° to 18.03333333°.

          North
Temperate North
Subtropical Tropical South
Subtropical South
Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Nearctic Region: United States (type locality).
Neotropical Region: Mexico.

 

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.