New York, NYC, Lasius(?) queen and workers... but what species?

#1 Offline futurebird - Posted April 4 2022 - 2:56 PM

Advanced Member

Members
836 posts

LocationNew York City, NY

At first I thought they were formica. Because of the big eyes.

But looking at my "new england ant guide" lasius seems more likely. Here is a size comparison with Lasius neoniger. I've used red lines to show the body length of each queen. She's a big girl for a lasius...

Her gaster is very large.

And like her daughters she has lovely big eyes.

What species is this? It's not Formica subsericea... she looks nothing like that queen...

m99 likes this

Starting this July I'm posting videos of my ants every week on youTube.

I like to make relaxing videos that capture the joy of watching ants.

If that sounds like your kind of thing... follow me >here<.

#2 Online Manitobant - Posted April 4 2022 - 4:38 PM

Advanced Member

Members
2,912 posts

LocationWinnipeg, Canada

Its definitely a formica species in the fusca group.

Antkeeper01, OiledOlives, UtahAnts and 1 other like this

My journals:

Polyergus Mexicanus: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry175528
Lasius minutus: https://www.formicul...cs/#entry174811
Lasius latipes: https://www.formicul...gs/#entry206449
General acanthomyops journal: https://www.formicul...yops-with-eggs/

#3 Offline futurebird - Posted April 4 2022 - 5:51 PM

Advanced Member

Members
836 posts

LocationNew York City, NY

I thought fusca was only in europe

Starting this July I'm posting videos of my ants every week on youTube.

I like to make relaxing videos that capture the joy of watching ants.

If that sounds like your kind of thing... follow me >here<.

#4 Offline ColAnt735 - Posted April 4 2022 - 5:59 PM

Advanced Member

Members
406 posts

LocationOntario,Canada

I thought fusca was only in europe

Formica fusca are only in Europe although Manitobant is referring to the fusca group which is a subgenus in the genus Formica.

Manitobant, Antkeeper01, azzaaazzzz00 and 2 others like this

"If an ant carries an object a hundred times it's weight,you can carry burdens many times your size.

#5 Offline Mettcollsuss - Posted April 5 2022 - 5:15 AM

Advanced Member

Members
1,767 posts

LocationChicago, IL

At first I thought they were formica. Because of the big eyes.

But looking at my "new england ant guide" lasius seems more likely. Here is a size comparison with Lasius neoniger. I've used red lines to show the body length of each queen. She's a big girl for a lasius...

Formica and Lasius have the issue of sounding very similar on paper, despite not being closely related. These ones are definitely Formica.

What species is this? It's not Formica subsericea... she looks nothing like that queen...

What features don't seem like F. subsericea to you? I'm actually 99% sure it is F. subsericea. The workers have rounded heads, long antennal scapes, and are largely lacking erect hairs. The only identifying feature I can't make out very well are the hairs on the gaster (F. subsericea would have a decent number of hairs on the gaster and very few or no hairs anywhere else). I only hold off from giving a completely confident ID since these are nanitics and their features might not completely match up with full size workers. But I still believe enough features match, even as nanitics, to safely call these F. subsericea.

I thought fusca was only in europe

The species Formica fusca is, but the fusca group is much more broadly distributed. The fusca group is a taxonomic mess right now, but until it gets fixed up, species like this one are considered to be part of the fusca group.

https://antwiki.org/...es_groups#fusca

Edited by Mettcollsuss, April 5 2022 - 5:15 AM.