12 replies to this topic

[DarkCerebral]

1. Tupelo, MS
2. 2022/04/11
3. Hardwrood Tree Base
4. 7mm
5. Orange/Brown 
6. N/A
7. N/A
8. Found in Hardwood Root base. Custom trap of leaf litter and roots. Clear, check, and reset daily

9. N/A

 

Aphaenagastor for sure. Unknown specifics and best founding options.

Attached Images

• 
• 
• 

[ANTdrew]

Founding is fully claustral, standard test tube will be perfect. I defer to the ID masters on here, though.

[DarkCerebral]

Founding is fully claustral, standard test tube will be perfect. I defer to the ID masters on here, though.

 

Thanks! I already have her in a tube and dark. I am not good at ID on these aphaenagasters. Aphaenogaster Tennesseensis is about the only one I kinda can ID.

[NickAnter]

Looks like picea or rudis.

[DarkCerebral]

Looks like picea or rudis.

Yeah I am thinking Picea. I looked at another I have and she is clearly Rudis. So I think this is it. Now I hope those spots on her back are sand from capture and not mites.

[Mettcollsuss]

Are you able to get a photo that shows the color of the antennae well? In picea, the last 4 segments of the antenna are lighter in color -- for example. My picea queen likes to hide, but from what I remember she doesn't really look like this queen. Considering how much of a mess the fulva-rudis-texana complex is, it's possible that it's also something undescribed.

[DarkCerebral]

Are you able to get a photo that shows the color of the antennae well? In picea, the last 4 segments of the antenna are lighter in color -- for example. My picea queen likes to hide, but from what I remember she doesn't really look like this queen. Considering how much of a mess the fulva-rudis-texana complex is, it's possible that it's also something undescribed.

Sadly I am a horrible with photos. I am working on getting better with these.I have attached the best I was able to do. This queen keeps running around and I cannot get a good light and still photo.

 

It looks like the ends are lighter in color. Also any ideas on those white/clear patches on the thorax.

Attached Images

• 
• 

Edited by DarkCerebral, April 12 2022 - 6:28 PM.

[madbiologist]

Is she entirely black, or is that just the pictures? Aphaenogaster fulva can often resemble picea in poor lighting.

[DarkCerebral]

Is she entirely black, or is that just the pictures? Aphaenogaster fulva can often resemble picea in poor lighting.

She has brown on her gaster legs and it appears antennae. I don't se any hints of reddish on her. Just slight brownish areas.

[Mettcollsuss]

Probably "picea" then. Picea is a mess like the rest of the fulva-rudis-texana group, so the fact that she doesn't look like mine might not mean much.

[DarkCerebral]

Probably "picea" then. Picea is a mess like the rest of the fulva-rudis-texana group, so the fact that she doesn't look like mine might not mean much.

I have attached pic of my other 2 aphaenogaster queens and they looks quite different. One has a lot more red to her and the other has more light brown on her gaster. To be fair though, I haven't IDd either of those either.

Attached Images

• 
• 

[TennesseeAnts]

Both of the above queens look like A. lamellidens to me.

[madbiologist]

Is she entirely black, or is that just the pictures? Aphaenogaster fulva can often resemble picea in poor lighting.

She has brown on her gaster legs and it appears antennae. I don't se any hints of reddish on her. Just slight brownish areas.

If her gaster has coloration, I think it could be a dark fulva.

Edited by madbiologist, April 13 2022 - 1:19 PM.