22 replies to this topic

[ooper]

Can someone help identify this species please? Thinking it may be Prenolepsis. Found under a rock in the mountains of Utah USA, April 22, 2015. Saw multiple queens. Collected one queen and a group of workers. They are not very active. Usually just huddling together as seen here in the pic.

[NorthEdge]

Definitely not Prenolepis. Looks like it could be Tapinoma sessile from the picture.

[ooper]

Hmm, maybe Tapinoma, but I think these are larger than the 2.4 - 3.25 mm range specified at SchoolofAnts.org. I took another picture of an isolated worker. Looks to be 5.0 to 5.5 mm in length.

Album: oopers ants

3 images

0 comments

 

 

[NorthEdge]

Sorry, couldn't really judge the size from the first picture. It's not Tapinoma. Based on the new picture I believe this is a species in the Formica fusca group. Individual species are difficult to tell apart especially from photos and some species do have multiple queens. 

[ooper]

Yeah sorry. I should have included size information originally. Thanks for your responses!

[Ants4fun]

I'm thinking myrmica.. look at the petiole closely.

[Ants4fun]

It's really hard to tell without good pictures... Try better lighting.

[Crystals]

They look like Formica to me.  But as mentioned, clearer pictures would help.

 

I have also noticed that posting on a 3rd party site such as photobucket allows for larger pictures (posting the image link here will allow us to see the picture here). 

Also try cropping the pictures a bit as that may help.

[Mercutia]

I agree with Formica. Unsure of species.

[ooper]

Here is a photo I uploaded to photobucket. Is this better?

 

http://s1040.photobu...k8wscm.jpg.html

[drtrmiller]

Try better lighting.

 

More adequate lighting is needed to distinguish small features around the thorax and other areas.  The images you provided are too dark, and result in flattening all the unique anatomical features, so as to make them indistinguishable from one another.

 

You're asking us to ID an ant based on pictures not much more detailed than these silhouettes:

 

Edited by drtrmiller, April 26 2015 - 6:42 PM.

[Ants4fun]

Most likely Formica, maybe podzolica or subsericea.

[ooper]

 

Try better lighting.

 

More adequate lighting is needed to distinguish small features around the thorax and other areas.  The images you provided are too dark, and result in flattening all the unique anatomical features, so as to make them indistinguishable from one another.

 

You're asking us to ID an ant based on pictures not much more detailed than these silhouettes:

 

 

 

Hmm, I'm not sure what else to use. What type of lighting do you guys use when taking ant photos?

[drtrmiller]

You have a lamp outside the frame in the picture you posted.  It could be something as simple as holding that test tube much closer to the light source and then taking the shot, ensuring that your exposure compensation is set so as to capture as much of the lowlight detail as possible.

[dspdrew]

One thing that can help is putting the ant on top of a darker background. This will allow more light reflecting off the ant to be seen instead of the light reflecting off the background.

[Crystals]

I like to take mine outside into light shade, or near a window.

 

But that picture was much clearer.  Looks like Formica to me, possibly fusca group.  Interesting since most Formica will not tolerate multiple queens.  But better pictures will be needed to accurately ID the species.

 

Antweb.org - Utah

Top right hand side is a "Browse Images by" option, choose profile and go through it a bit.  You will have to go into each genera to see the actual species.  The picture on the genera icon often shows a species not native to your area.

[NorthEdge]

Looks like Formica to me, possibly fusca group.  Interesting since most Formica will not tolerate multiple queens.

 

Where do you get this idea from? Polygyny is common among a lot of Formica species, including some in the fusca group. 

[Crystals]

I could be wrong.  It wouldn't be the first time.

 

When I first got into ants I asked for a list of polygynous species in North America on several forums.  The only Formica that were ever mentioned were Formica subsericea.  No other Formica were ever mentioned.

 

I have tried a few times to put 2 Formica founding queens together. I ended up separating them within 20 min. They may accept additional queens later when the colony is larger and more spread out.

[dean_k]

Formica subsericea is polygyny?!

[Crystals]

Formica subsericea is polygyny?!

There are numerous mentions of workers guiding newly mated queens into their colonies.