16 replies to this topic

[manik]

Hi everyone, i was sitting in my car yesterday, and on the window there was this little winged bug that looked like a queen ant, i put it in a test tube, but I'm no sure if is a male, a queen or just a bug, thanks for all the help!

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[ANTdrew]

The term king is not used to describe male ants. Try a better photo with a light colored background, so the dark ant is visible.

[OiledOlives]

Prenolepis imparis male

[NicholasP]

Prenolepis imparis male

Oh really? I was thinking maybe it was a Ponera pennsylvanica queen or male. But... I have little experience up in the colder parts of the U.S. so please take my ID with a grain of salt.

[OiledOlives]

Ponera pennsylvanica flies at the end of the year and does not look like that at all. This male is definitely Lasiini and the most similar looking genus to this is Prenolepis, which suits the flight time as well.

[azzaaazzzz00]

The color diffrence of the of a queen Prenolepis imparis and a male is a bit confusing.

Edited by azzaaazzzz00, April 15 2022 - 2:58 PM.

[RushmoreAnts]

 

Prenolepis imparis male

Oh really? I was thinking maybe it was a Ponera pennsylvanica queen or male. But... I have little experience up in the colder parts of the U.S. so please take my ID with a grain of salt.

 

The body isn't quite right for Ponerinae. Definitely a Formicidae. I second Prenolepis imparis.

[PaigeX]

Sure way to tell if Queen or male.. are the antennae straight or bent.

Straight = Male

bent = Queen

Edited by PaigeX, April 18 2022 - 9:42 AM.

[Kaelwizard]

Sure way to tell if Queen or male.. are the antennae straight or bent.
Straight = Male
bent = Queen

A quick google search of “male ant” proves that wrong. Head and abdomen shape would be better imo.

[ANTS_KL]

Sure way to tell if Queen or male.. are the antennae straight or bent.

Straight = Male

bent = Queen

Most formicine males have elbowed antennae. You could use eye size (not very good, but it works), body shape, and overall appearance.

[PaigeX]

 

Sure way to tell if Queen or male.. are the antennae straight or bent.
Straight = Male
bent = Queen

A quick google search of “male ant” proves that wrong. Head and abdomen shape would be better imo.

 

 

 

Sure way to tell if Queen or male.. are the antennae straight or bent.

Straight = Male

bent = Queen

Most formicine males have elbowed antennae. You could use eye size (not very good, but it works), body shape, and overall appearance.

 

 

 

well yea. i just went for the bare most simple way to tell. most ants here in Aus you can tell right away if male or not by the non bent antennae so.. i guess other countries not the same. 

[Kaelwizard]

 

 

Sure way to tell if Queen or male.. are the antennae straight or bent.
Straight = Male
bent = Queen

A quick google search of “male ant” proves that wrong. Head and abdomen shape would be better imo.

 

 

 

Sure way to tell if Queen or male.. are the antennae straight or bent.

Straight = Male

bent = Queen

Most formicine males have elbowed antennae. You could use eye size (not very good, but it works), body shape, and overall appearance.

 

 

 

well yea. i just went for the bare most simple way to tell. most ants here in Aus you can tell right away if male or not by the non bent antennae so.. i guess other countries not the same. 

 

I looked up various Australian genera, and of those the males have bent antennae, however it seems to be somewhat less obvious than genera/species here in NA. I'm not sure what the reason for that would be, though I guess they could just be holding their antennae at a different angle in those pictures.

 

And I'm sorry if my previous post came across as blunt or rude, I didn't intend that and I should have worded it differently.

Edited by Kaelwizard, April 25 2022 - 1:25 PM.

[NickAnter]

Could also be a Camponotus male.

 

You need better pictures to get an ID.

[OiledOlives]

Could also be a Camponotus male.

 

You need better pictures to get an ID.

It literally isn't lol

[PaigeX]

I looked up various Australian genera, and of those the males have bent antennae, however it seems to be somewhat less obvious than genera/species here in NA. I'm not sure what the reason for that would be, though I guess they could just be holding their antennae at a different angle in those pictures.

 

 

 

 

And I'm sorry if my previous post came across as blunt or rude, I didn't intend that and I should have worded it differently.

 

Its all good. and yea they are all bent in a way but normally if you look at a normal worker ant and queen ant, they are very easy to tell the difference. They (normally always) are way more straight. And when you get down to the 3-5mm males, it looks completely straight.

[PurdueEntomology]

A better image is needed but from what I could discern it is not a Camponotus.  Like trying to see a black ant on a black rock on the night of a new moon!!!

[OiledOlives]

I don't understand how this is such a difficult ID. Flight time alone rules out every other species. Zoomed out, it looks like a Prenolepis imparis male. Zoomed in, it looks like a Prenolepis imparis male. Not sure what you guys might think it is, so please say what you think it might be.