30 replies to this topic

[Ferox_Formicae]

In my state, my favorite ant would have to be Pogonomyrmex badius. Not only are they morphologically amazing to look at, being one of only two polymorphic Pogonomyrmex species, but they have an extremely interesting ecology, only being found in areas that burn frequently, like Longleaf Pine Savannas and scrublands. There's still a lot we don't know about them as well, like why they move from their intricately-constructed nests to build an identical one once a year or why they gather bits of charcoal to place around their nest entrances, and cease to forage when the charcoal is removed until it is replaced. Lots of things to love about these gals.

My least favorite ant in my state is either Linepithema humile or Brachyponera chinensis. It's hard to decide which one is worse. On the one hand, Linepithema form massive colonies spanning entire continents and are extremely competitive, and on the other, Brachyponera chinensis actually directly competes with Linepithema, kills off native termites, and forces out native forest ants like Aphaenogaster. I don't mind Solenopsis invicta too much, as they don't compete much with the native ant fauna (the one exception being our two native fire ants), but both Linepithema and Brachyponera can go suck a jellyfish for all I care.

 

My favorite ant in general would have to be either Strumigenys agra or Strumigenys dbb072 (a morphotaxon collected by Andrea Lucky and identified by Douglas Booher). Strumigenys agra is a chocolate brown, giant dacetine from Madagascar. Reaching lengths of 5.4 mm, it is one of the largest Strumigenys. It has long, upwards-pointing propodeal spines, long appendages, and a greatly elongated head tipped with trap-jaw mandibles. On the other hand, Strumigenys dbb072 is a New Guinean species with very little information recorded on it. It's bicolored yellow and dark brown, with a strongly shining gaster. It is also extremely leggy, and sports long, gently curving ventrally propodeal spines. Its appendages are ridiculously elongated, to the point where the hind limbs do not even show up in the AntWeb images because of how long they are.

My least favorite ant in general is Pheidole megacephala. It's taken over entire island, exterminating natives as it goes, has completely overrun mainland areas, and is just all-around bad news for anything that gets in the way of its path of destruction.

[Chickalo]

Can't remember if I posted already, but oh well opinions can change, can't they?

 

Favourites:

Lasius, Pseudolasius, Trachymyrmex, some Camponotus, Pheidole, and Crematogaster (otherwise known as Creamy Toe Gaster)

 

Least Favourites:

Tetramorium, some Formica, some Camponotus, and Doubleos Posteus (a somewhat common species here on Formiculture) 

[Kaelwizard]

Favorite: Probably Harpegnathos venator.

Least Favorite: Probably Solenopsis invicta.

Edited by Kaelwizard, May 7 2021 - 5:24 AM.

[Antcatcherpro3]

These latin names sound cool, and everyone here should know them, but imagine trying to explain what species of ant you have to a friend that doesnt keep ants after saying their latin name.

[Kaelwizard]

These latin names sound cool, and everyone here should know them, but imagine trying to explain what species of ant you have to a friend that doesnt keep ants after saying their latin name.

Yeah sometimes I use Latin names when talking to my parents and my brother always yells at me that they don't know what that means.

[Antcatcherpro3]

lol

[Antkeeper01]

i think Gigantops destructor is cool

Edited by Antkeeper01, May 7 2021 - 9:10 AM.

[Chickalo]

They're called Latin names?  Just wondering because quite a few scientific names are deprived from other languages, Myrmex being taken from the myth of some girl who's name is Myrmex gets turned into an ant by the goddess Athena (very similar to Arachne's myth [hence spiders being Arachnids]).

[Kaelwizard]

They're called Latin names?  Just wondering because quite a few scientific names are deprived from other languages, Myrmex being taken from the myth of some girl who's name is Myrmex gets turned into an ant by the goddess Athena (very similar to Arachne's myth [hence spiders being Arachnids]).

Latin and Greek, but mainly Latin.

[Ferox_Formicae]

I find common names even more agitating than most people find Latin names. The only real argument against Latin names is that, "Oh, they're hard to pronounce." And yeah, that's true, but at least there's only ever one of them per species. One example I like to give is the fish Amia calva. Instead of just calling it by the single name Amia calva, it now has like a million common names, bowfin, mudfish, dogfish, griddle, mudpike, whatever. Another good example is with really weird names like the mountain chicken, a kind of large frog. And then you got names that are clearly just jokes, like the slippery dick (a wrasse) or the alewife (a river herring). Then again there is a trilobite called Han solo and an entire group of fungus beetles with names like Gelae baen, Gelae fish, and Gelae donut. So clearly specific names can be jokes too, but at least each species only has one. With ants it's even worse. With ants that don't have common names (almost all of them), when I talk about them to normal people I have to come up with names on the spot, like Northern parasitic twig ant or pearly mustache ant. It'd be so much easier to just say Pseudomyrmex leptosus or Strumigenys margaritae than to come up with common names. Idk, it just annoys me, and I'm glad most ants don't have common names.

[NPLT]

I find common names even more agitating than most people find Latin names. The only real argument against Latin names is that, "Oh, they're hard to pronounce." And yeah, that's true, but at least there's only ever one of them per species. One example I like to give is the fish Amia calva. Instead of just calling it by the single name Amia calva, it now has like a million common names, bowfin, mudfish, dogfish, griddle, mudpike, whatever. Another good example is with really weird names like the mountain chicken, a kind of large frog. And then you got names that are clearly just jokes, like the slippery dick (a wrasse) or the alewife (a river herring). Then again there is a trilobite called Han solo and an entire group of fungus beetles with names like Gelae baen, Gelae fish, and Gelae donut. So clearly specific names can be jokes too, but at least each species only has one. With ants it's even worse. With ants that don't have common names (almost all of them), when I talk about them to normal people I have to come up with names on the spot, like Northern parasitic twig ant or pearly mustache ant. It'd be so much easier to just say Pseudomyrmex leptosus or Strumigenys margaritae than to come up with common names. Idk, it just annoys me, and I'm glad most ants don't have common names.

It gets even worse when you include regional variations of common names, talking about Isopods in particular would be a pain.