21 replies to this topic

[Am3ricanBanana]

Hey everybody, I found these beauties while playing disc golf up at a ski resort near Wrightwood. It was about 3:30pm and they were just crawling all over the place in the pine needles and on the dirt. I didn't see any actually flying and I couldn't find any nests.

 

1. Location of collection: Dry ski resort near Wrightwood CA, ~7500 ft elevation

2. Date of collection: 7/30/20 @ 3:30pm
3. Habitat of collection: Pine forest
4. Length: 11mm
5. Coloration, hue, pattern and texture: Black head and thorax, gaster coloration ranging from caramel with brown lines to almost fully brown

 

[NickAnter]

Absolutely gorgeous Formica sp. Good luck with them!

[dspdrew]

That looks more like Camponotus to me.

[Am3ricanBanana]

I was also thinking Camponotus but I don't have much experience with them so I wasn't sure.

[NickAnter]

No Californian Camponotus this short is that bulky. Likely fusca group Formica.IDK why I said neogagtes earlier.

Edited by NickAnter, August 1 2020 - 1:09 PM.

[dspdrew]

I don't know. This doesn't look that short and bulky.

 

 

It does seem strange for Camponotus to fly this late in the mountains though.

[NickAnter]

What North American Camponotus looks remotely like that? The only thing lengthwise that matches is those of the Myrmentoma subgenus, but this is nothing like that.

Edited by NickAnter, August 1 2020 - 1:08 PM.

[nurbs]

Can you get a frontal shot of the head?

[KitsAntVa]

Deleted

Edited by KitsAntVa, August 1 2020 - 1:48 PM.

[KitsAntVa]

My best guess is a camponotus in the family of atriceps because it has the colors of it now I know they are not in our states but I keep finding ants that look just like camponotus atriceps in my front yard now it’s a different species but with the colors of atriceps so maybe it’s a species that flys late has a eastern United States and western United States genii and my knowledge is that they come out mostly night.

[KitsAntVa]

Also it’s might be a western version of c. Americanus you never know and also both of these are wild guesses my first guess is probably not right but this might be all I can say correctly is raise her until she has workers then you might be able to tell.

[Manitobant]

I think this is the same species as nurb's formica. The one he couldn't ID.

[AnthonyP163]

I'm almost certain this is Formica subpolita. 

[NickAnter]

I'm almost certain this is Formica subpolita. 

that's what I thought too, as they are highly variable in color. It was just I had never seen pictures of any looking like this. The most similar was an all orange one.

[ponerinecat]

Very striking queens! I'm pretty much certain this is formica. The head is shaped like a rounded triangle, as opposed tot he blocky heads of CA camponotus.

[ponerinecat]

Another giveaway is the petiole. Shaped like an upside down triangle. You can see that in pic #3.

[Am3ricanBanana]

Can you get a frontal shot of the head?

These are the best I could get with my phone.

[ponerinecat]

Yeah that nails it as formica.

[Am3ricanBanana]

Very cool, never really had Formica at the top of my list of species I want to keep but these girls are just beautiful. Can't wait to see the workers!

[nurbs]

Thanks, can you just make it brighter? Head is way too dark. We need to be able to see the base of the scapes to the clypeus.

 

Put the queen on a DARK background (you have it on white). The camera right now is trying to expose to the darkest and brightest background, if you have the background as dark as the queen it should expose better.

 

It does look like Formica, just want to be sure because the coloration is interesting.

 

 

 

Can you get a frontal shot of the head?

These are the best I could get with my phone.

 

Edited by nurbs, August 1 2020 - 7:19 PM.