7 replies to this topic

[dspdrew]

Date found:  9-14-2013

Location:  Indio, California.
Habitat:  High desert, wandering on the ground at a gas station.
Coloration, hue and pattern:  Dark brown head and gaster, red thorax.
Length:  5mm.

Unlike the other queen I found that night at that gas station, this queen's pupae were all naked, there were no cocoons at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dspdrew]

I assume this is also Brachymyrmex like the other one I found there that night, but it certainly must be a different species being that its thorax is red and not dark brown and all of its pupae were naked and not in cocoons.

[wook]

Overall shape of head - thorax - gaster does appear to be Brachymyrmex. Reason why pupae are naked could be because they don't have sand or something else they do nest in so that they can't hatch their selves. You can try to add some pieces of sand to them.

[dspdrew]

I don't know why I can't seem to remember some of the most distinct characteristics of some genera. Dr. Trager pointed out the fact that these clearly have more than nine antennal segments, so they're certainly not Brachymyrmex who have only nine. He does say it's a formicine though, so I am pretty stumped now.

 

Edit: I'm pretty sure this is Nylanderia now. The naked pupae, and Crematogaster like gasters pretty much give it away.

[wook]

That's strange, I've read that it's not very wise to count antennal segments because ants can lose some... however, if James said so, then I am sure he's right.

What about first one? Is it Nylanderia too? 

[dspdrew]

That's strange, I've read that it's not very wise to count antennal segments because ants can lose some... however, if James said so, then I am sure he's right.

What about first one? Is it Nylanderia too? 

The other one was Brachymyrmex.

[wook]

Good!

[James C. Trager]

Paratrechina, Nylanderia & Prenolepis always have naked pupae, and their larvae do not even produce silk.
Counting the segments of an intact antenna is very useful in ant ID, and segments are relatively rarely lost.

 

I wonder if this is the recently described N. magnella? Otherwise, probably N. vividula.

Edited by James C. Trager, January 6 2014 - 1:10 PM.