18 replies to this topic

[Vern530]

Found this girl in Northern California today under a stone the workers look no different in color and size than solenopsis molesta but queen is very yellow and has distinct black stripe

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[TennesseeAnts]

No way to tell with these pictures. One thing is for sure though: she's in the Solenopsis fugax complex, in the molesta group. I would invest in a good microscope and put her though a key.

Edited by Ant_Dude2908, February 12 2020 - 1:53 PM.

[Vern530]

I’m more curious if any one has ever seen that black stripe
I’m pretty sure it’s solenopsis molesta

[Aaron567]

I would just settle with the ID of molesta group Solenopsis sp., because it is unlikely you'll get an accurate species ID for a subterranean Solenopsis in California when their taxonomy is still so unsettled. 

 

Side note, the fugax complex is an entirely separate complex from the molesta complex.

[Ferox_Formicae]

There's actually no way to tell whether these are from the molesta complex, fugax complex, or another complex altogether. I'd just leave them at Solenopsis for now until higher magnification/better photos are available to run these through a key.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

Looks very physcogastric, that's for sure 

[Ferox_Formicae]

Looks very physcogastric, that's for sure 

Nope, that's a normal sized Solenopsis gaster. If she were physogastric, you could see the tergites stretching and the softer stretchy 'skin' underneath.

[Vern530]

All that is good info In all but in any ones experience have they seen the racing stripe she has on her gaster???? I’ve seen hundreds of solenopsis colony near where I found her and never seen a racing stripe on a gaster.thoughts???

[gcsnelling]

Leave it at Solenopsis, even with a good scope and key a species level Id is going to be virtually impossible.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

 

Looks very physcogastric, that's for sure 

Nope, that's a normal sized Solenopsis gaster. If she were physogastric, you could see the tergites stretching and the softer stretchy 'skin' underneath.

 

wow, that's crazy!

[TennesseeAnts]

I would just settle with the ID of molesta group Solenopsis sp., because it is unlikely you'll get an accurate species ID for a subterranean Solenopsis in California when their taxonomy is still so unsettled. 
 
Side note, the fugax complex is an entirely separate complex from the molesta complex.

Oh. I don't know what I was thinking...

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

lol, it's fine, we all have those days lol

[Vern530]

But what about the black stripe on the gaster?????????? Lol

[gcsnelling]

Sometimes a black stripe is just a black stripe.

[ponerinecat]

Very attractive feature though. Wish we had Solenopsis like that here.

[NickAnter]

Here, they have a black dot on the bottom of the gaster.

[ForestDragon]

In ohio we have texana, carolinensis, and molesta, but you ONLY find molesta the other 2 are in the extreme south

[ponerinecat]

Here, they have a black dot on the bottom of the gaster.

Yeah, I see that on all my queens too. Sometimes on Forelius as well, but with workers.

[Ferox_Formicae]

 

Here, they have a black dot on the bottom of the gaster.

Yeah, I see that on all my queens too. Sometimes on Forelius as well, but with workers.

 

That's actually their crop, not an actual spot on the cuticle. It's easily seen on ants when seen through a microscope. It seems to be very apparent when I look at my Crematogaster minutissima and Camponotus castaneus. It's really only visible on ants with light colored cuticles, which is why you see it on such ants as Solenopsis thief ants and Forelius.