16 replies to this topic

[ooper]

This girl wandered into my house last night around 10pm. It had been raining all week on and off and was raining when we found her walking near our front door on the floor. I didn't recall seeing any flying ants that day.

 

One thing that is a little curious is that my daughter and son-in-law had just returned from a trip to North Carolina 30 minutes prior to us spotting this queen. They came straight from the airport to our house. I am wondering if she stowed away with them in a backpack or something.

 

Pics:

http://i1040.photobucket.com/albums/b410/therealooper/Picture%2018_zpsrco8vwpo.jpg

http://i1040.photobucket.com/albums/b410/therealooper/Picture%2019_zpsrmikeeic.jpg

 

[ooper]

Dang, forgot to mention the size... She's about 9.5mm in length.

[Gregory2455]

She is a small Camponotus?

[Ants4fun]

Camponotus hyatti?

[dspdrew]

I don't think it's C. hyatti. It is something in the Myrmentoma subgenus though.

 

Edit: Actually, after looking at all the options, maybe it is C. hyatti. It does look pretty shiny, as they are.

Edited by dspdrew, May 9 2015 - 10:19 AM.

[ooper]

Thank you all. I believe C. hyatti is correct.

[ooper]

She has 2 eggs. They are pinkish orange in color.

 

http://i1040.photobu...zpsrcj5f1x8.jpg

[dspdrew]

How weird.

[Gregory2455]

That may be a bacteria relative to this one:

It seems to color the eggs, kill them, and then allow them to decompose.

[drtrmiller]

I disagree, Greg. Some Camponotus are known for having off-white eggs.  I've never seen any that dark, but they look too uniformly plump and healthy to be diseased.  Time will tell, I suppose.

[ooper]

A better view of queen and her initial brood.

 

[AntTeen804]

They look like normal eggs.

[Jonathan21700]

I see that in many Camponotus sp. journals.

[Gregory2455]

I disagree, Greg. Some Camponotus are known for having off-white eggs.  I've never seen any that dark, but they look too uniformly plump and healthy to be diseased.  Time will tell, I suppose.

I know. My Camponotus have yellow eggs. I have just never seen healthy, orange pink eggs before.

[James C. Trager]

I have seen such deeply colored Camponotus eggs a few times. I notice that eggs of older queens are often paler.

[Miles]

I was told that it was dietary - maybe a signifier for keratin? I'm not sure if that's true, it's just what I remember.

 

Edit: keratin doesn't seem to make sense.

Edited by Miles, May 14 2015 - 4:22 PM.

[kellakk]

I was told that it was dietary - maybe a signifier for keratin? I'm not sure if that's true, it's just what I remember.

 

Edit: keratin doesn't seem to make sense.

 

You're thinking of carotene, which is a fairly common pigment in plants.