11 replies to this topic

[TennesseeAnts]

Three different ants, all collected from same nest. To me, they seem to be Formica obscuriventris, but I wanted confirmation. 

 

1. Location of collection: 36.48389603782802, -86.92995365255989 
2. Date of collection: April, 2020
3. Habitat of collection: Dense hickory/oak woodland, under stone at base of mature hickory.
4. Length (from head to gaster): 5<mm minor, 7-8mm major, 10-11mm queen.
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: N/A
6. Distinguishing characteristics: Polygyne, multiple gynes present, 4 at least.
7. Distinguishing behavior: Enslaving Formica subsericea.
8. Nest description: Small, conspicuous semi-thatched nest, hundreds, if not thousands of workers.

9. Nuptial flight time and date: N/A

 

Minor:

 

 

 

 

Major:

 

 

 

 

Queen:

 

 

Edited by TennesseeAnts, February 5 2021 - 7:33 AM.

[Manitobant]

Those aren’t Formica obscuriventris, but are a slave maker species in the Formica sanguinea group, or raptiformica. You can tell by the Clypeal notch on the worker. If you found them in a mound with no slaves, it’s probably aserva, which are the only free living member of the group.


EDIT: after looking at your description, it is likely to be rufa group, but that apparent clypeal notch is really confusing me. You sure you sent the right pics?

Edited by Manitobant, February 4 2021 - 4:11 PM.

[TennesseeAnts]

Those aren’t Formica obscuriventris, but are a slave maker species in the Formica sanguinea group, or raptiformica. You can tell by the Clypeal notch on the worker. If you found them in a mound with no slaves, it’s probably aserva, which are the only free living member of the group.


EDIT: after looking at your description, it is likely to be rufa group, but that apparent clypeal notch is really confusing me. You sure you sent the right pics?

Exactly my dilemma! Some of them are rufa-group, and some of them are apparently sanguinea-group. They had several thousand F. subsericea slaves in the nest, as well.

[Manitobant]

It could be raptiformica enslaving both rufa group and fusca group, however the polygyny is the thing that really throws me off. Slave makers are normally strictly monogynous. Did you keep them by any chance?

Edited by Manitobant, February 4 2021 - 4:27 PM.

[TennesseeAnts]

It could be raptiformica enslaving both rufa group and fusca group, however the polygyny is the thing that really throws me off. Slave makers are normally strictly monogynous. Did you keep them by any chance?

It depends on how you define "keep". The colony died shortly after I removed the hosts when they became aggressive towards a new queen I introduced to the colony. The parasitic colony lived for a few months, but never did anything after I took the hosts out.

Edited by TennesseeAnts, February 4 2021 - 4:26 PM.

[Manitobant]

That sounds like an obligate slave maker, which are completely dependent on their hosts. I’ve heard rumours of raptiformica being polygynous, though i wasn’t sure how true it is. This is definitely very interesting.

[TennesseeAnts]

That sounds like an obligate slave maker, which are completely dependent on their hosts. I’ve heard rumours of raptiformica being polygynous, though i wasn’t sure how true it is. This is definitely very interesting.

Both the queens did continue to lay eggs for a while, but only a few actually resulted in workers, as they never really foraged. They later died of starvation.

[TennesseeAnts]

Anthony has helped me key them out, and we came to F. fossaceps. A relatively rare ant, almost 500 miles out of their supposed range... I'm going to be sending some specimens to the people over at Antweb to confirm.

Edited by TennesseeAnts, February 4 2021 - 4:56 PM.

[Manitobant]

I mean there is a clypeal notch, which means it can’t be fossaceps or rufa group. Also the fact that they died without slaves signifies it’s a slave maker.

[YsTheAnt]

Slave makers are not all monogynous. Some Formica social parasites have dozens if not hundreds of queens.

[TennesseeAnts]

Slave makers are not all monogynous. Some Formica social parasites have dozens if not hundreds of queens.

Yeah, but slave-makers are different from your everyday social parasites. They have to actively seek out and raid new host colonies each month, as they can't feed themselves and most can't even raise their own brood.

[TennesseeAnts]

I roped Ferox_Formicae into this, and he keyed them out to my original ID; Formica subintegra, since that seems to be a recurring ID, I'm going with that one. I'll still be sending specimens to a few myrmecologists to be on the safe side, though.