9 replies to this topic

[TestSubjectOne]

1. Location Collected: Orange County, CA

2. Date Collected: Around 9/1/2020

3. Habitat Collected: Coastal sage shrub

4. Length: 1/8 inch

5. Coloration: Dark reddish

6. Distinctive Characteristics: Her egg is large compared to her body. Her gaster is swollen with honey.

7. Distinctive Behaviors: She was found over a month ago as a dealate but hasn't laid eggs until today and only has one. She is slow and doesn't react much to being disturbed.

9. Time Found: Found at 8:30 at night on the ground, likely flew earlier

 

10. Pictures:

Edited by TestSubjectOne, October 16 2020 - 10:56 AM.

[Manitobant]

Looks like temnothorax to me.

[Ants_Dakota]

that is one huge egg!

[NickAnter]

Looks like it. I found a decapitated one in my front yard a couple weeks ago.

[M_Ants]

I want it!!!!

[TennesseeAnts]

Imma second Temnothorax.

[Manitobant]

The huge egg and only a single egg could be a sign of a male and therefore infertility, although you can never be sure.

[TestSubjectOne]

The huge egg and only a single egg could be a sign of a male and therefore infertility, although you can never be sure.

That's what I'm worried about, but I found the queen wingless and wandering on the ground which is a strong sign of fertility. I hope that large eggs, small broods and delayed laying are just a Temnothorax or sp. thing.

 

Edit: Just checked on her and she ate her egg. I'm sure it wasn't a result of being photographed as she was calm through the entire experience. That explains why I've seen no brood in the past month. It seems like she's infertile after all.

Edited by TestSubjectOne, October 16 2020 - 1:59 PM.

[M_Ants]

Mine were all infertile or died.

[dspdrew]

I'll bet it's one of these two.

 

https://www.formicul...ated-11-8-2019/

https://www.formicul...ated-11-9-2019/

 

I usually find some of these every season in the canyons around here.

 

The first one (180) I have only found a few times on my black light, with the most being 3 queens in one season if I remember right. Some of these workers have gotten so big, I'm planning to take a closer look at them again to make sure I'm not mistaken.

 

The second one (181), I find in abundance and usually see them swarming in June just before sunset. These are very tiny, even smaller than S. molesta, which also swarms at the same time, and looks very similar.

 

One way to tell the queens apart under a microscope is the hairs on the second one (181) are more sparse, thicker and shorter. They almost look as if they were trimmed.

 

 

Edit: Actually now that I think about it, if it's that dark, and you found it in September, it's probably something else.

Edited by dspdrew, October 17 2020 - 2:10 AM.