17 replies to this topic

[AsdinAnts]

so, my dad bought me pheidole morrisii from the ant vault, and P. morrisii isn’t found in california. I’m wondering if this is a different species, ik these photos aren’t the greatest.

 

thanks in advance

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[ReignofRage]

It does not appear to be the main group P. fallax-group from California. But, what's to expect from Kushal. Just curious, did a permit come inside of the box along with the ants?

[AsdinAnts]

no, there was only the ants inside the box he shipped them in, and food inside another.
i’m guessing that the ant vault isn’t a good place to buy ants from?

[1tsm3jack]

I haven't bought from them but I have looked at their website and it doesn't seem to be the best looking in terms of validity, like how they just make random names for ant species instead of just putting common or scientific name.

[dspdrew]

Well, to be fair, regardless of where they originally came from, he shipped them to the buyer within CA, so no permit required there.

[bmb1bee]

2 workers and 1 major is kind of sad, especially when they're $60-130 on his site. 

[AsdinAnts]

the tube they came in was full of mold, and there was a lot of ant bodies kind of like joining in with it

[bmb1bee]

the tube they came in was full of mold, and there was a lot of ant bodies kind of like joining in with it

Deplorable.

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

I myself had not had the best experience with these guys.

[ReignofRage]

Well, to be fair, regardless of where they originally came from, he shipped them to the buyer within CA, so no permit required there.

 

According to Carlos Blanco of the USDA, once an ant is illegal (i.e. being brought here by crossing borders without permits, etm.) it is then illegal from there on out. So, this is false.

Edit: And if he had a permit to obtain the species here in CA, he would need to also include a permit in the package, since it is a non-native.

Edited by ReignofRage, November 6 2024 - 7:11 PM.

[AsdinAnts]

The queen has a black spot in the middle of her thorax, and the workers/majors both have black spots on the middle of under their gaster.
The workers are pretty small compared to the queen, and are darker compared to the queen and majors

Let me know if you need more information/better images. I’m still tryna get this colony ID’d correctly.

thank you

[ReignofRage]

The black dot on the ventral side of the gaster is a pigmentation spot that occurs on a lot of ants. Interestingly, it is typically nearly in the exact same spot on each worker and the placement differs from colony to colony - kind of like an identifying birthmark for the colony. To properly key them, you will need better pictures of either the head of the queen and/or the major.

[AsdinAnts]

The black dot on the ventral side of the gaster is a pigmentation spot that occurs on a lot of ants. Interestingly, it is typically nearly in the exact same spot on each worker and the placement differs from colony to colony - kind of like an identifying birthmark for the colony. To properly key them, you will need better pictures of either the head of the queen and/or the major.

okay, thanks reign.
I’ll try and get better photos when I can

[AsdinAnts]

best I can do with the position she was in, and what I have to take pictures rn

I'm still on the hunt for my macro lens 

 

(the two larvae at the bottom of the test tube + the callows are tetramoriums.)

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Edited by AsdinAnts, November 6 2024 - 9:22 PM.

[ReignofRage]

It does look like P. morrisii. It definitely is not any main group P. fallax-group of California.

[mbullock42086]

2 workers and 1 major is kind of sad, especially when they're $60-130 on his site. 

particularly because these make huge piles of eggs

[Ants_Dakota]

 

2 workers and 1 major is kind of sad, especially when they're $60-130 on his site. 

particularly because these make huge piles of eggs

 

The fact that they already have a major makes me wonder if they are brood boosted? 

[1tsm3jack]

 

 

2 workers and 1 major is kind of sad, especially when they're $60-130 on his site. 

particularly because these make huge piles of eggs

 

The fact that they already have a major makes me wonder if they are brood boosted? 

 

I was wondering if they brood boosted their colonies just so it seems like they are doing well, or if they just take all of the colonies brood before they ship them out to give to their other colonies, or both. that would be not cool if they did that.