16 replies to this topic

[Virginian_ants]

Next week I will be in Guantanamo bay, Cuba visiting a family member. They love insects and other animals almost as much as me so together we will be scorpion and ant hunting. There have been multiple records of atta insularis less than a mile from where I'm staying. Hopefully this will be my first time seeing leaf cutters in real life. If I find really cool spieces of ants then I will leave them with the family member and try to get permits. They come back in December so I don't have a lot of time. Had anyone been there and if so what types of ants did you see?

[ANTdrew]

Cool. Looking forward to your observations. Pack a good macro lens!

[Virginian_ants]

I don't have a great one but I have one in my phone and a digital microscope that can get good photos like this.

Attached Images

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Edited by Virginian_ants, October 6 2023 - 2:59 AM.

[Virginian_ants]

The first day had been great! I do fast have found.
-brachymyrmex obscurior
-black crazy ant
-pharoh ant
-native Solenopsis geminata dark morph.
-and I caught what I Believe to be a Pseudomyrmex cubaensis queen. She was fast do it was hard to get photos but I got this one and I can make out wing scars. I Will apply for a permit soon.

[100lols]

Excited for some photos!

[ANTdrew]

The first day had been great! I do fast have found.
-brachymyrmex obscurior
-black crazy ant
-pharoh ant
-native Solenopsis geminata dark morph.
-and I caught what I Believe to be a Pseudomyrmex cubaensis queen. She was fast do it was hard to get photos but I got this one and I can make out wing scars. I Will apply for a permit soon.

Nice work, Yoda!

[Virginian_ants]

Thanks. I couldn't get good photos of the queen but I got this I believe the red it the wing scars and I'm pretty sure it's pseudomyrmex cubaensis because cubaensis is the only one that looks like it in the island. There is elongata but it has one review on the other side.

[Virginian_ants]

Still no atta. Found some cool termites. I also found theses ants invading my kitchen I initially thought pharoh ants but they have polymorphism. Any ideas.

[Virginian_ants]

[ANTdrew]

S. geminata?

[Virginian_ants]

No I don't think so. The geminata I saw outside were bigger and darker. I thought Invicta but when I angered a lot of them they swarmed my hand but didn't hurt even though some looked like they were trying to sting.

[Mettcollsuss]

Trichomyrmex destructor

[Virginian_ants]

Thanks I was thinking maybe tricomyrmex but this is my first time seeing them. I have not seen a lot of natives but I've seen the native brachymyrmex obscurior, maybe some native monomorium, Solenopsis geminata, and the twig ant queen.

[Virginian_ants]

I'm not getting any permits for ants here because of it's a military base and it's a lot of hassle. I may get some for atta when I get back. Yesterday I saw dune Temnothorax that was pretty cool.

[100lols]

Bummer but sounds like fun anyways!

[bmb1bee]

Trichomyrmex are pretty interesting in my opinion. I saw a hunch in Hawaii and Vietnam, where they make huge trails. Not sure if it’s to move nests or to forage, but it looks wild. They somewhat remind me of Neivamyrmex or other army ants…

[Virginian_ants]

Yeah they have a trail from outside through the walls into my kitchen it's about 20-30 feet long.