13 replies to this topic

[FeistysWitch]

Queen 1
Location: Artesia, NM
Date: 6/15/20
Habitat: Desert Short Grassland / Mesquite Scrub
Length: 10mm
Coloration: Red head, black body, velvety gaster.



Queens 2
Location: Artesia, NM
Date: 7/20/20
Habitat: Desert Short Grassland / Mesquite Scrub
Length:5mm
Coloration: Appears to range from light brown golden to dark brown and black. Completely shiny, gasters appear striped, drag the ground when the queens walk.
Other Characteristics: Possibly establish multi queen colonies. I housed two sets of two queens together. One was immediately unsuccessful. But the second is still getting along.


Queen 3
Location: Artesia, NM
Date: 7/30/20
Habitat: Desert Short Grassland / Mesquite Scrub
Length: 10mm
Coloration: Bright orange red.
Other Characteristics: Holds gaster straight up in the air when running.



Queen 4
Location: Cloudcroft, NM
Date: 8/7/20
Habitat: Pine Forest
Length: 6mm
Coloration: Shiny Black
Other Characteristics: Very quick, can climb at least smooth plastic surfaces.

[TechAnt]

Queen 1: Myrmercoystus cf. mimicus
Queen 2: Not Sure
Queen 3: Pogomyrmex sp. (Pogonomyrmex tenuispinus maybe?)
Queen 4: That is not a queen, that’s just a worker, not sure what species.

Edited by TechAnt, August 22 2020 - 8:08 AM.

[Manitobant]

1. Myrmecocystus sp.

2. Dorymyrmex sp.

3. Pogonomyrmex sp.

4. Formica pseudogyne (worker queen hybrid infected with a virus, sadly sterile)

[NickAnter]

1. Myrmecocystus sp.

2. Dorymyrmex sp.

3. Pogonomyrmex sp.

4. Formica pseudogyne (worker queen hybrid infected with a virus, sadly sterile)

I agree, except for number 2, which is most certainly Forelius.

[Zeiss]

Nice catch with the Myrmecocystus queen.  Sadly, they have a high death rate in the hobby, so prepare yourself for it to possibly die out of the blue.

[FeistysWitch]

I'm not overly worried about their death rate. I've seen tons of Myrmecocystus mexicanus around here before but the coloration of this one threw me.

Thank you for the id's.

Any consensus on whether #2 is Forelius or Dorymyrmex?

[CheetoLord02]

 

1. Myrmecocystus sp.

2. Dorymyrmex sp.

3. Pogonomyrmex sp.

4. Formica pseudogyne (worker queen hybrid infected with a virus, sadly sterile)

I agree, except for number 2, which is most certainly Forelius.

 

#2 is absolutely Dorymyrmex, most likely D. smithi. The Pogonomyrmex is likely P. bigbendensis.

[NickAnter]

 

 

1. Myrmecocystus sp.

2. Dorymyrmex sp.

3. Pogonomyrmex sp.

4. Formica pseudogyne (worker queen hybrid infected with a virus, sadly sterile)

I agree, except for number 2, which is most certainly Forelius.

 

#2 is absolutely Dorymyrmex, most likely D. smithi. The Pogonomyrmex is likely P. bigbendensis.

 

D. smithi is parasitic, and that queen clearly has brood without host workers. And she is only 5mm.

[RushmoreAnts]

D. smithi is parasitic, and that queen clearly has brood without host workers. And she is only 5mm.

I second this, that queen is much to round and bulky to be parasitic.

[FeistysWitch]

I can confirm that they indeed raise their own brood successfully. I have raised them to up to workers before without issue. They are not parasitic.

[FeistysWitch]

And if they are, they are very unique and can also raise their own brood without a host. I have quite a few of these queens and all have brood. One pair also seems to be cooperatively raising brood. It remains to be seen if this cooperation will continue when workers arrive.

[FeistysWitch]

I believe the Pogonomyrmex is p. maricopa unless someone is aware of another species that runs around with their gasters pointed up in the air like a skunk's tail. I can't find pictures of another orange Pogonomyrmex that does this but my Google skills aren't the best.

[gcsnelling]

I agree P. maricopa is a far more likely for that Pogonomyrmex.

[FeistysWitch]

Thank you! For the help on the Pogonomyrmex. Any consensus on queens 2? If it helps I remeber they fly during the day. Late morning, and you can find these tiny queens scurrying for their lives in huge numbers as they are readily preyed upon by multiple species of harvester ants. Heat also doesn't seem to phase them as the queens can still be found searching for places to make founding chambers long after the heat has sent most other ants to ground. And we are talking pretty high temps. Probably 80F when they beging to fly and 110F air temp give or take, and likely much hotter ground temp, when they can still be found.

Edited by FeistysWitch, August 23 2020 - 5:59 AM.