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Queen ant IDs and termite IDs from 29 Palms/Hesperia (7-20-15)


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#1 Offline stuhrike - Posted July 21 2015 - 12:26 AM

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I'll group these together by location.

 

1. Location of collection: 29 Palms

2. Date of collection: 07/20/15
3. Habitat of collection: Desert
4. Length (from head to gaster): See picture
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: Reddish head, dark brown stripes running down sides of thorax, yellow abdomen with brown stripes
6. Distinguishing characteristics: 
7. Anything else distinctive: 
8. Nest description: Claustral, all five queens

 

Pics of two different queens. Left one sideways so it's more close up.

11223795_758579848419_783294983935453890

 

Second queen with similar markings

11742624_758579833449_430300179094571444

 

And this ran right by as I dug up the second queen.  Pretty small...any ideas?
11745307_758579958199_903199931756651530

 

 

 

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1. Location of collection: Hesperia
2. Date of collection: 7/20/15
3. Habitat of collection: Desert
4. Length (from head to gaster): See pic
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: 
6. Distinguishing characteristics: 
7. Anything else distinctive: 
8. Nest description: Claustral

 

At first, I thought this was a P. Rugosus since it was dark but...

11049548_758579978159_699769667997381383

 

Another two that are the same but dying.  I think it was the previous container I put them in.  Moved them here and they perked up a bit.

65945_758580038039_7428217131886168046_n

 

 

When I put this queen in with them, they all attacked her immediately.

11754258_758580013089_124112676364622581

 


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For bonus points, anyone know what kind of termite this is?
11140406_758580092929_627250032240372861

11701215_758580072969_385051418061556646

and are they the same species as this termite?  Because it'd be awesome if I could just combine them.

11742790_758581225659_428953819091101239



#2 Offline Alza - Posted July 21 2015 - 1:16 AM

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None of the pictures show for me.



#3 Offline dermy - Posted July 21 2015 - 2:27 AM

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They work perfectly fine for me.

 

I'm not sure on the species since you live in a different area then me. Are you sure you can just Combine Termites like that?



#4 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted July 21 2015 - 2:42 AM

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That first queen looks like those weird Myrmecocystus drew described in the chat. The second one is Solenopsis xyloni, and the third ones are a dark species of Myrmecocystus. Awesome catch! Wish I could go as far as 29 Palms...

 

Can I request for more images of those that you collected at Hesperia?


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#5 Offline Subverted - Posted July 21 2015 - 9:13 AM

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The small queen that ran up to you looks to be Solenopsis xyloni


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#6 Offline LC3 - Posted July 21 2015 - 5:23 PM

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Stuh, I can't really ID the termites because no clear pics of soldiers... 

However, two of the termite alates seem following each other in the pics. This can indicate that they are a couple looking for a place to set camp :D

I'm not a termite expert but the soldier might be a subterranean I also remembering workers can become reproductives in some species.



#7 Offline stuhrike - Posted July 21 2015 - 8:56 PM

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Awesome, thanks everyone!

 

 

They work perfectly fine for me.

 

I'm not sure on the species since you live in a different area then me. Are you sure you can just Combine Termites like that?

 

I tried combining...it was a bad idea. had to rescue them immediately :P

 

That first queen looks like those weird Myrmecocystus drew described in the chat. The second one is Solenopsis xyloni, and the third ones are a dark species of Myrmecocystus. Awesome catch! Wish I could go as far as 29 Palms...

 

Can I request for more images of those that you collected at Hesperia?

 

yep, i'll take more pics tonight.  i didn't really catch anything in phelan or mormon rocks.  most of what i did catch today, i caught at my house so i'll post pics of those as well in a bit.

 

 

Stuh, I can't really ID the termites because no clear pics of soldiers... 

However, two of the termite alates seem following each other in the pics. This can indicate that they are a couple looking for a place to set camp :D

I'm not a termite expert but the soldier might be a subterranean I also remembering workers can become reproductives in some species.

yeah, i waas trying to get close ups but it was impossible.  my macro lens came today so will post again.



#8 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted July 22 2015 - 4:05 AM

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11754258_758580013089_124112676364622581

I caught a load of these too today/yesterday.



#9 Offline Alza - Posted July 22 2015 - 8:43 AM

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Once again, none of the pictures show for me.



#10 Offline LC3 - Posted July 22 2015 - 10:48 AM

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How are the alates doing?



#11 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted July 22 2015 - 1:52 PM

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Once again, none of the pictures show for me.

Get Facebook. :P



#12 Offline Alza - Posted July 22 2015 - 2:35 PM

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Why ?



#13 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted July 22 2015 - 5:46 PM

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Why ?

That is where the images are from.



#14 Offline stuhrike - Posted July 22 2015 - 7:07 PM

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How are the alates doing?

I think they're doing well.  I opened up my closet to put some more ants in and the rugosus had 3-5 eggs each but were tearing at cotton still.
Everything else seemed to be normal.  
Definitely need more test tubes though.  I honestly never thought I'd make it past 12 test tubes...hahaha...ordered 50 more last night but I think I may have not thought this out...need more after I caught more today...



#15 Offline LC3 - Posted July 22 2015 - 8:35 PM

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How are the alates doing?

I think they're doing well.  I opened up my closet to put some more ants in and the rugosus had 3-5 eggs each but were tearing at cotton still.
Everything else seemed to be normal.  
Definitely need more test tubes though.  I honestly never thought I'd make it past 12 test tubes...hahaha...ordered 50 more last night but I think I may have not thought this out...need more after I caught more today...

 

I was talking about the termites :P 

That works too haha.



#16 Offline dspdrew - Posted July 24 2015 - 7:06 AM

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I wouldn't use Facebook as an image host since only people with a Facebook account can see them.

 

As for the queens fighting and dying, don't put any formicines together in the same small plastic container or they will kill each other with their acid.

 

I'm super busy right now, but as soon as I get the time, I'm going to try to key these Myrmecocystus queens out. I have a bunch of the same ones.



#17 Offline Jonathan21700 - Posted July 24 2015 - 1:43 PM

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I am not logged in Facebook and can still see them.






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