these seem to be ponerine so you should release them because they are definitely not a begginer sp possibly Ponera pensylvanica, and did you even get a queen? So please release them where you found them and these cannot be a new sp if they were i would doubt it and ponerine ants are quite cute if you ask me
I'm so sorry sir but you might be wrong check this out i did some research waiting for yalls respnse https://www.google.c...QAAAAAdAAAAABAP
i know that its possible that its a new sp but heres a quote from the article"Syscia sumnichti, an ant no bigger than a grain of rice that lives in the mountains of Guatemala, Honduras and Nicarauga has been named after a biologist who now resides and works closer to the Ozark Hills." That wasnt even found in the US.
https://www.antweb.o...t=allantwebants
https://www.antweb.o...t=allantwebants
https://www.antweb.o...t=allantwebants
that's all the known ponerine ants in your state it is more likely its one of those
(EDIT) Actually purdueEntomology is probably right.(i think you should send a specimen to a museum for identification and release the rest back where you found them
Edited by Antkeeper01, July 24 2021 - 1:34 PM.