7 replies to this topic

[alex-barty]

Hey guys,I really need some help id 'ing a couple of queens i found although I know the pictures are not the best because I'm in the army and I can't really take my time with them and take proper pictures.No on screen measurement either . species suggestions is more than enough with what is provided.I will post two more queens as replies to this thread.I found this one on a hot and not so humid day in the afternoon but she seemed pretty exhausted.She is totally black and rally bulky,I had to clip her wings myself because after 3 days in the test tube she wouldn't turn towards the water.After I clipped her wings she went straight for it and after a week or so she laid her first eggs.I think she was laying consistantly for a week straight because the eggs kept multiplying.She is between 1cm and 1.3cm.Once again I'm sorry I have to eye ball it

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[alex-barty]

This queen I found today and boy does she look angry.She has a deep red colour that is not well depicted in the photos,her head is the most red out of the rest of her body,legs are also orangy-reddish.As all of these queens she was found mid-day in an area with lots of low vegatation and not especially thick vegetation.She is at least 1.5cm maybe a bit bigger if she sits straight.

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[alex-barty]

Last queen to post here,was actually found first around the 25th of april.I actually didn't find her straight after her nuptial flight but during cutting weeds around my military camp.She was running in panic,no wings and a single egg between her mandibles.She is about 0.7-0.9 cm totally black and she looks like a messor species we have in the majority of the camp.I have no idea though.Thanks for taking the time to check this thread:)

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[Mettcollsuss]

I would say all of these look to be Messor, but I can't get any further than that.

[Manitobant]

All of them are some kind of messor species.

[alex-barty]

Thanks a bunch guys:))

[Barristan]

According to antmaps these Messor species occur in Greece:
 

Messor carpathous

Messor hellenius

Messor ibericus

Messor mcarthuri

Messor oertzeni

Messor ponticus

Messor structor

Messor varrialei

Messor wasmanni

 

With red head I would normally say Messor barbarus but it is too early for them to fly.... The smaller one looks like Messor bouvieri but according to antmaps it is not native to Greece,

[Fatatoille]

This whole ID thing is a bit new to me, so please don't take my word for it:

 

queen 1:  messor structor group, usually found at higher altitudes, their flight times also align with when you found them quite well.

 

queen 2: messor oerzteni, the colour scheme and location match up quite well.

 

queen 3: honestly, I'm a bit stumped on the last queen, so I can't give any reasonable answer for that one.

 

I can't go any further than that without good photos, to get it down to species with messor its usually counting hairs and miniscule details that can only be seen with better resolution.

 

I used this key if you want to have a go yourself: https://www.antwiki....pecies_groups#6