9 replies to this topic

[myrmecophile]

Location of collection: Everett, WA (~20 north of Seattle).

Date of collection: June 14, 2015

Habitat of collection: Concrete..found her at 530am emerging from crack outside of my garage.

Length (from head to gaster): ~9mm

Color, hue, pattern and texture: Bicolored. Hairy. Dark brown body, lighter legs. Golden stripes on gaster.

Distinguishing characteristics: Her gaster. It has become elongated with shiny golden stripes, each day more pronounced.

Anything else distinctive: Very still and does not move much. Same goes for the other three ladies I picked up.

took a video too:

Attached Images

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Edited by myrmecophile, June 27 2015 - 11:48 PM.

[Miles]

Tetramorium cf. caespitum. Her gaster appears to be damaged.

There should he more where she came from!

[myrmecophile]

Tetramorium cf. caespitum. Her gaster appears to be damaged.
There should he more where she came from!

Thanks for the reply. Her gaster appears damaged?! I hope not. 😰 In the video she is attempting to take off her wings (the last twenty seconds are a close up).

Anyone else agree with her being a T. cf. caespitum?

Edited by myrmecophile, June 28 2015 - 7:02 AM.

[Ants4fun]

Most likely tetramorium, but I'm not sure about sp. E... It seems to have too much color.

[Miles]

No doubt this is Tetramorium cf. caespitum. I've got cousins in Everett and I find them every year. Tetramorium sp. E is pretty much synonymous with Tetramorium cf. caespitum. I use the caespitum name because there is more information on the species using that name.

[Gregory2455]

I have still seen queens with damaged gasters rear workers. Once she has workers the hard part is over for her as lond as she can still lay fertile eggs.

[myrmecophile]

I have to admit I'm a little disappointed - I didn't realize she had a damaged gaster; I thought it was suppose to be like that.   Does it appear damaged from the video, or from the pictures?  I can take more pictures or another video if that might help?

 

The three other queens I caught are now developing the same elongated gaster with a golden stripe... they don't look like my other T. caespitums which I caught last month in the same vicinity... I know there can be variation with the coloring and whatnot, but I seriously thought these gals were special!! 

 

 

Other than that, I guess my main question now is whether these ladies are fully or semi-clausteral. Any ideas?

[LC3]

I have seen images of T. caespitum with enlonged gasters and T. caespitum without enlonged. I'd say keep them if they were damaged it would be likely they'd die sooner or later.

[Miles]

These ants are fully claustral.

[myrmecophile]

Thanks Miles!!