38 replies to this topic

[IdioticMouse26]

Ant of the Day: Carebara diversa

(A C. diversa queen(above), and a major surrounded by various casts of C. diversa. Credit: Antstore)

 

Carebara diversa, or Asian Marauder Ants, are known for their long foraging trails, extreme polymorphism, and polyethism in their colonies, from small minors measuring 1.5-2.5mm in length to supermajors that weigh 550 times heavier than their most minor counterparts. The size difference between the casts is so extreme that multiple minor workers have been seen riding a major in foraging trails.

Carebara diversa ants are polygynous and can have up to 16 queens per colony, enabling the colony to have up to 500,000 individuals. Their average colony size is 20,000-100,000.

All these traits often make people mistake C. diversa with army ants. But there are crucial differences between Marauder ants and Army ants:

1. Army ants only have one queen.

2. Army ants do not build permanent nests.

3. Army ants do not have nuptial flights.

4. Army ants only hunt and eat insects.

Also, C. diversa is widely spread throughout India, Southeast Asia, Taiwan and the Philippines, while most army ant species are found in South America. 

The diet of C. diversa primarily consists of insects. They also enjoy honey, fruit, jelly, nuts, and seeds. It was even recorded that up to 50% of the ant’s diets consisted of seeds during winter. Even though they are not picky about what they eat, they are not a beginner species. They are sensitive and difficult to keep due to their large colony sizes.

 

Sources: 

https://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Carebara_diversa

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carebara_diversa

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/464748-Carebara-diversa

https://antontop.com/carebara-diversa/#:~:text=Carebara%20diversa%20is%20a%20polygynous,of%20up%20to%20500%2C000%20workers.

 

Edit: C. diversa is not polygynous but they do participate in pleometrosis.

Edited by IdioticMouse26, October 16 2024 - 12:49 AM.

[kiedeerk]

Great job. Much better in terms of factual content with resources and references

Fyi though C diversa is not polygynous but it’s close relative C affinis is

Edited by kiedeerk, October 15 2024 - 1:57 AM.

[IdioticMouse26]

Great job. Much better in terms of factual content with resources and references

Fyi though C diversa is not polygenous but it’s close relative C affinis is

Thank you! Although, did you mean polygynous? I read through my writing and I didn't mention that they were polygenous. 

I could be confusing the terms but polygynous means having multiple queens and polygenous means having different casts of ants, right?

[kiedeerk]

Polygynous meaning having multiple queens in a colony and polymorphic means having different casts

C diversa is not polygynous but is polymorphic

[Yusteponant]

The queen is so shiny

Note: For those who don't know I'm at Korea right now so if the upload time is a little weird, please understand. Sorry for the late update.

 

Ant of the Day: Aphaenogaster tennesseensis

 

tennesseensis15-M.jpg

(A. tennesseensis queen surrounded by her host species(A. rudis) of workers. Credit: Alexander Wild)

 

Aphaenogaster tennesseensis are a temporary social parasite of other Aphaenogaster species. Native to the United States and eastern parts of Canada, they are a relatively large species. The interesting thing is the queens of the species are a similiar size of the workers. This is because as a parasitic species, the queens do not need large body reserves. 

 

They have their nuptial flight at June. Once their flight is over, the queens of A. tennesseensis infilitrates her host nest and eimits a powerful pheromone that makes her highly attractive. The host workers tend to her unknowingly and treats her like their queen. Once the host's queen is killed, their nest is slowly replaced by A. tennesseensis broods and workers. 

 

They tend to nest either in rotting wood or in soil. A. tennesseensis are granivors, their diet typically consists of peanuts, pecans, cashews, and almond. Although, they will still eagerly accept sugar water and other sources of proteins like feeder insects. 

[RushmoreAnts]

Polygynous meaning having multiple queens in a colony and polymorphic means having different casts

C diversa is not polygynous but is polymorphic

I believe he was also correcting your spelling of 'polygynous'. 

 

 

I could be confusing the terms but polygynous means having multiple queens and polygenous means having different casts of ants, right?

 

 

 

For further clarification,

 

'Gyne' is the technical term for the queen of a eusocial insect colony (ants, bees, termites, etc.). 

'Poly' is derived from the Greek word meaning 'many'. 

Therefore, poly-gyn-ous literally means 'has many queens'. 

 

'Morph' means 'shape' or 'change' and is derived from the Greek word 'Metamorphosis' which means 'to change'.

Therefore, poly-morph-ism means 'many shapes', signifying the different shapes and sizes of the different subcastes.

[IdioticMouse26]

Ant of the Day: Odontomachus bauri

 

(An Odontomachus bauri worker. Credit: Antark)

 

Note: I couldn’t upload for multiple days because Formiculture was down for me. It said something about SQL errors. Sorry about that.

 

Odontomachus bauri, also known as trap-jaw ants, are unique-looking and have an ability that matches their unique look. Their jaws can open 180 degrees and snap shut between 78 and 145 miles per hour(125 and 233 kilometres), which makes them have one of the fastest movements in the animal kingdom. Their jaw is a spring-lock mechanism that releases when triggered. They also have thin, long strands of hair around their mouth, and when they touch something, it triggers the ant to strike. The triggering of the hairs also indicates whether the prey is within range. One more unique thing about their jaw is that they can use it not only for offence but also for defence. To escape danger, O. bauri can use the force of their jaws to propel themselves away. 

 

Many Odontomachus species hunt springtails and small arthropods. Some Odontomachus species specialize in hunting springtails so much that it is their only diet. O. bauri typically hunts other ants or termites, using its lethal jaw speeds to one-shot its prey. They live in neotropical regions like South America, and nests are very shallow. Most nests uncovered didn’t go into soil. Instead, they were found between crevices and under wood. 

They have nuptial flights year-round. Their queens are nearly indistinguishable from workers except for the scars on their thorax. The queens are semi-claustral, so if you want to keep one, you’ll need a foraging area.

 

Sources: 

https://www.antwiki....ntomachus_bauri

https://www.nbcnews....id/wbna14456898

[ANTdrew]

The server crashed for everybody.

[IdioticMouse26]

The server crashed for everybody.

Oh, ok, I thought it was just me or my region because I got email notification that someone just posted after the server crashed. I guess I confused the date!

Edited by IdioticMouse26, October 19 2024 - 2:05 AM.

[AntsGodzilla]

 

Ant of the Day: Odontomachus bauri

 

images.jpeg

(An Odontomachus bauri worker. Credit: Antark)

 

Note: I couldn’t upload for multiple days because Formiculture was down for me. It said something about SQL errors. Sorry about that.

 

Odontomachus bauri, also known as trap-jaw ants, are unique-looking and have an ability that matches their unique look. Their jaws can open 180 degrees and snap shut between 78 and 145 miles per hour(125 and 233 kilometres), which makes them have one of the fastest movements in the animal kingdom. Their jaw is a spring-lock mechanism that releases when triggered. They also have thin, long strands of hair around their mouth, and when they touch something, it triggers the ant to strike. The triggering of the hairs also indicates whether the prey is within range. One more unique thing about their jaw is that they can use it not only for offence but also for defence. To escape danger, O. bauri can use the force of their jaws to propel themselves away. 

 

Many Odontomachus species hunt springtails and small arthropods. Some Odontomachus species specialize in hunting springtails so much that it is their only diet. O. bauri typically hunts other ants or termites, using its lethal jaw speeds to one-shot its prey. They live in neotropical regions like South America, and nests are very shallow. Most nests uncovered didn’t go into soil. Instead, they were found between crevices and under wood. 

They have nuptial flights year-round. Their queens are nearly indistinguishable from workers except for the scars on their thorax. The queens are semi-claustral, so if you want to keep one, you’ll need a foraging area.

 

Sources: 

https://www.antwiki....ntomachus_bauri

https://www.nbcnews....id/wbna14456898

 

This is amazing! I love Odontomachus sp.

[bmb1bee]

Waiting on some species of Amblyoponinae to show up 

[IdioticMouse26]

Ant of the day: Stigmatomma oregonense

 

(A worker S. oregonense dragging her captured prey, a soil centiped, to her colony. Credit: Canada Ant Colony) 

 

These ants, also known as Dracula ants for their strange habit of drinking blood from their young, are native to North America. They tend to live in mixed coniferous forests in large rotting logs. The colonies are polygynous, having multiple queens that don’t look much different from the workers other than being slightly larger. The fascinating and abhorrent thing about these ants is their habit of drinking the hemolymph of their young. This does not harm the larvae but does leave a scar. This behaviour is more common if food is scarce. This behaviour could be explained by the fact that these ants cannot perform traphallaxis. 

 

S. oregonense can sting, and the sting is mildly painful and can lead to swelling. They specialize in hunting centipedes, specifically geophilomorph centipedes, using their serrated, elongated jaws to capture quickly, then stinging the prey. They are a slow-growing species and are picky about their diet, so keep that in mind if you want to keep them.

 

[IdioticMouse26]

Ant of the Day: Iridomyrmex purpureus

(A I.purpureus worker. Credit: Antwiki)
 

Commonly known as Meat ants, they are native to Australia and are very numerous. They are known for their extreme aggression and large colonies. They form “large pebble mounds [up to several meters wide] with multiple nest holes” (AntWiki) that can contain hundreds of thousands of ants. Regarding diet, meat ants are not picky and eat almost anything, from honeydew to dead vertebrates. Although opportunistic feeders, these ants primarily consume plant matter like extrafloral nectars. They fiercely defend their plants from intruders. This species is diurnal, hunting and foraging during the day. Because of their numerous numbers and active foraging, their trails can be pretty extensive and vivid. Many people even mistake their trails for man-made ones. 

 

Their large colony size is possible because these ants are polygynous, but only to the queens of their colony. Dealated queens often establish their nests near their mother colony, establishing satellite nests. The workers of the mother colony can help the dealated queens build their first chambers and defend them from predators. 

 

Despite their aggressiveness, these ants have found a surprisingly civil way to settle territorial disputes. When encountering another ant of the same species, the ant adapts a posture known as “stilting.” In this posture, the ant extends its legs, making itself as tall as possible. If the other does not back down, using their forelegs, they begin to…kickbox. They rapidly hit each other, testing their strength and agility. The battle lasts only a few seconds, and the winner continues his stilting posture while the loser backs off, lowering herself. Typically, these battles happen along territorial lines, in foraging trails. It could last hours as each colony pushes their opponents back to expand territory. 

 

Sources: 

https://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Iridomyrmex_purpureus

(I highly recommend you check out his channel)

Edited by IdioticMouse26, October 23 2024 - 7:59 PM.

[IdioticMouse26]

Ant of the Day: Monomorium minimum

(I'm really sorry for the late update, I have no excuse, I was just lazy. I'll try to upload as often as I can)

 

(A M. minimum queen(center), workers, and brood. Credit: Alexander L Wild )

 

Monomorium minimum, or Little Black ants, live up to their name. The worker’s size ranges from 1-2mm, and the queen is 4mm. Native to North America, their colonies are polygyn, and due to their short egg-to-ant cycle, their colony can quickly become very large. On average, there are 2000 individuals per colony. They are also very good at escaping, so a well-applied anti-ant barrier is crucial. 

 

They build their nests quite shallow, about 10cm deep, but it can vary depending on the environment. They are highly adaptive and would be easy to keep if not for their tendency to escape. They’ll accept almost any food source but have problems taking down live prey due to their small size, which makes sense, as they are scavengers in the wild. They have their nuptial flight during March.

 

Sources: 

https://www.antwiki....omorium_minimum

https://canada-ant-c...jNdrl6bq9UKnWB5

https://urbanentomol...s/little_black/

Edited by IdioticMouse26, November 6 2024 - 12:26 AM.

[ANTdrew]

The one year queen lifespan fact is false. I’ve kept numerous of these queens over one year. Also, I’m not certain that photo is M. minimum.

[OiledOlives]

Photo credit should go to the person who submitted the photo (in this case, Lynette Elliott), not BG. That is also a worker, not a queen.

The photo is of M. minimum - suburban setting, North Carolina, must be minimum. Also ID'd as M. minimum by Dr. Trager.

See the original post here -> https://bugguide.net...w/40726/bgimage
 

Edit: Agreed with Antdrew, the queens certainly live for longer than a year. M. minimum also do not only fly in March (especially not in their northern range, where the only ants active during this month are Prenolepis imparis and some Lasius!). I have taken alates during June and July here in Virginia.

Edited by OiledOlives, November 5 2024 - 10:28 AM.

[IdioticMouse26]

Ok, I will change all that. Please understand that I could get a lot of things wrong, since I'm going off interent searches and I don't know a lot of trusted sites, but thank you for the feedback! I'm learning many things as I do this thread.

Edited by IdioticMouse26, November 6 2024 - 12:28 AM.

[IdioticMouse26]

Ant of the Day: Myrmica rubra

 

(A M. rubra worker. Photo by Tom Murray)

 

Myrmica rubra, also known as European Fire Ants, is native throughout northern Europe and western Asia. However, their adaptability to different environments has them very widespread. Their nesting areas can vary from damp meadows to woodlands and forests. They thrive best in moist environments. M. rubra is polycalic, meaning a colony can inhabit multiple nests, each containing multiple queens. Supercolonies of M. rubra have been observed. Nests contain, on average, 1,000 individuals, but they can range from a dozen to 8,000 individuals. Sometimes, a colony can branch off to another, creating another colony. But sometimes, the branched off colony can turn on its mother colony and become aggressive towards each other.

 

M. rubra are scavengers and hunters of small invertebrates. Equipped with stingers and hunting in groups, they subdue their prey. However, they also like to eat nectar and honeydew, and aphids and scale insects are a welcome sight to them. They have their nuptial flight from July to October. Their nuptial flight swarms can grow pretty large as they can join swarms of other M. rubra. 

 

Sources:

https://www.antwiki....i/Myrmica_rubra

 

Note: Does anyone know what a microgyne and macrogyne is? Because I encountered the term while researching, and I researched it a little bit, but I'm pretty confused. So far what I think I know is microgyne is like a smaller queen but parasitic?

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

 

 

 

Note: Does anyone know what a microgyne and macrogyne is? Because I encountered the term while researching, and I researched it a little bit, but I'm pretty confused. So far what I think I know is microgyne is like a smaller queen but parasitic?

 

Kind of yeah, but the microgyne is not parasitic (yet), and I am pretty sure that the microgyne does not produce workers and instead makes more microgynes, I have read the they think the microgyne queen could become a new parasitic species