6 replies to this topic

[evanmancini2011]

I have been keeping this ant colony for a few years now and I finally decided to have it identified! Does anyone know what species this colony is?

 

Sorry I still don't know how to post a photo but here is the links to the photos

 

https://drive.google...w?usp=sharing  

https://drive.google...ew?usp=sharing  

https://drive.google...ew?usp=sharing 

Edited by evanmancini2011, July 28 2024 - 8:50 AM.

[Mettcollsuss]

Crematogaster 

[Stubyvast]

Yup definitely Crematogaster. You can tell by their heart-shaped gasters, and kind of short length. At least that's what you notice when eyeballing it haha!

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

Cematogaster cerasi?

the workers of this species are like 3-5mm and the queen is 8-10mmand they live in the more eastern part of america

[Artisan_Ants]

Cematogaster cerasi?
the workers of this species are like 3-5mm and the queen is 8-10mmand they live in the more eastern part of america

We can’t just say it’s cerasi (although it did look like my colony and queen). Crematogaster lineolata is about the same being more darker in color but by queens, is hard to ID (we would need a microscopic camera image like that seen on castes). Since you hav workers though, this process will be easier. It is known for C. lineolata to fly earlier than C. cerasi (in October usually) but in some if not most places, their nuptial flight period overlaps (in my area it doesn’t but since both species live in basically the same habitat, I can’t just say so). If you found your queen in November then it’s most likely C. cerasi (which is what I believe it is).

[Mettcollsuss]

We can’t just say it’s cerasi (although it did look like my colony and queen). Crematogaster lineolata is about the same being more darker in color but by queens, is hard to ID (we would need a microscopic camera image like that seen on castes). Since you hav workers though, this process will be easier. It is known for C. lineolata to fly earlier than C. cerasi (in October usually) but in some if not most places, their nuptial flight period overlaps (in my area it doesn’t but since both species live in basically the same habitat, I can’t just say so). If you found your queen in November then it’s most likely C. cerasi (which is what I believe it is).

In the northeast where you are Crematogaster ID is relatively easier since there's just cerasi, lineolata, and occasionally pilosa, but this is out west in Colorado where there is significantly more species diversity; I wouldn't hazard a guess at species without worker microscopy. The polygyny rules out cerasi anyway.

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

1: I did not realize there are 2 or 3 queens
2: in my area C. cerasi flies in August
3: it looks like cerasi to me so sorry for the misidentification