Hello, I'm pretty new to ant keeping (and Myrmecology in general) and would like help with an ID for these ants
Ant #1
1. Location (on a map) of collection: Cave Creek, AZ
2. Date of collection: N/A
3. Habitat of collection: Desert Scrub
4. Length (from head to gaster): ~4mm
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: Orange-Yellow head and thorax, Golden-yellow Gaster
6. Distinguishing characteristics: One , eleven segmented antennae
7. Distinguishing behavior: Almost every night I see a colony that seems to be moving nests, it just a long line of workers with brood and sometimes queen and drone alates
8. Nest description: They where moving out of an abandoned Burrowing Wolf Spider hole, and where moving into a small hole with no mound with small rocks and sticks around it
9. Nuptial flight time and date: I could see queens and drones in the line of workers, so they might have their nuptial flights soon
Images:
Queen Alate:
More workers: (you can see drone in top right)
Ant #2
My guess would be Cyphomyrmex wheeleri or something in that genus
1. Location (on a map) of collection: Cave Creek, AZ
2. Date of collection: N/A
3. Habitat of collection: Desert Scrub
4. Length (from head to gaster): ~3mm
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: Dark Brown-Orange, very armored, sharp features
6. Distinguishing characteristics: one
7. Distinguishing behavior: some where carrying what looked like caterpillar poop, which leads me to believe that they are fungus farmers
8. Nest description: I never found their nest
9. Nuptial flight time and date: N/A
Images:
Ant #3
1. Location (on a map) of collection: Cave Creek, AZ
2. Date of collection: N/A
3. Habitat of collection: Desert Scrub
4. Length (from head to gaster): ~4mm
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: Dark Red, their thorax and head are covered in bumps and ridges
6. Distinguishing characteristics: two petiole nodes, ten segmented antennae
7. Distinguishing behavior: tons at nest entrance
8. Nest description: nest covered in large (at least for ants) dirt clumps ant sticks
9. Nuptial flight time and date: N/A
Images:
That's all, hopefully the pictures are good enough, and next time I'll bring out a ruler lol
Edited by Froggy, June 10 2020 - 9:51 AM.
