11 replies to this topic

[dirt_eater]

1. Athens GA in a small patch of woods
2. January 16
3. Young pine forest
4. 5 mm
5. black as far as i can tell
6. single petiole node, slender abdomen and thorax with a more square shaped head relatively stream lined in side view as well
7. They can't climb at all, want to be hidden all the time and won't sting even when provoked.
8. I collected them from a rotten log. I'm not sure if i have the queen but i'm relatively certain i have the whole colony so i have my fingers crossed

Attached Images

• 

Edited by dirt_eater, January 16 2016 - 5:17 PM.
Removed profanity

[dirt_eater]

my best guess so far is a ponera type ant 

another photo 

[dirt_eater]

Well I think I figured it out. Best I can tell they are Ponera Pennsylvanica. Actual measurement is closer to 4mm not 5. I ground up some of the pulpy wood they were living in to make a fine substrate and added it to an ants Canada omni nest and introduced the colony. They have excavated a good amount of the chambers and established themselves. I fed them two mealworms yesterday and they greedily accepted both. I have been keeping the water wells full but the nest hasn't fogged at all. This may be due to the amount of substrate or the ants drinking a good amount. So far so good. I have a video of them attacking a mealworm that I'll try to post later

[Mdrogun]

Well I think I figured it out. Best I can tell they are Ponera Pennsylvanica. Actual measurement is closer to 4mm not 5. I ground up some of the pulpy wood they were living in to make a fine substrate and added it to an ants Canada omni nest and introduced the colony. They have excavated a good amount of the chambers and established themselves. I fed them two mealworms yesterday and they greedily accepted both. I have been keeping the water wells full but the nest hasn't fogged at all. This may be due to the amount of substrate or the ants drinking a good amount. So far so good. I have a video of them attacking a mealworm that I'll try to post later

I have seen Ponera pennsylvanica in real life before. I don't think these are Ponera pennsylvanica. You can see in the picture I provided that they are similar, but not the same. I think these are Ponera but not Ponera pennsylvanica. I hope you find out what these are.

Attached Images

• 

[dirt_eater]

I've done as much as I can with limited knowledge that I have to id these guys. I really appreciate the response. Hope someone else can weigh in with a more specific id.

[Ants4fun]

Looks like liometopum to me. That is not a queen. I doubt you got a whole colony as the colony can live in various logs as well as underground.

[Mdrogun]

Looks like liometopum to me. That is not a queen. I doubt you got a whole colony as the colony can live in various logs as well as underground.

I don't think they are Liometopum. As you can see the picture he provided looks nothing like Liometopum occidentale. Maybe you could look on this site to figure out what genus at least. http://antmaps.org/?

Attached Images

• 

[Ants4fun]

Whoops I forgot it was in Greece.

[Mdrogun]

Whoops I forgot it was in Greece.

Liometopum is found in California and maybe in surrounding states. I was just saying I don't think that the Liometopum picture by Alex Wild looks nothing like the ant in the picture dirt_eater took.

[Jonathan21700]

I think he found her in Athens Georgia.

Pachycondyla chinensis  probably.

[dirt_eater]

Nailed it. I wasn't looking at introduced species, and honesty I'm super bummed. I've been trying to find a native queen/colony for three years and none of my native queens have survived. of course I've found any huge number of solenopsis invicta queens but they don't interest me. Either way thanks for the ID much appreciated Jonathan21700.

[Ants4fun]

I agree. Definitely wasn't Ponera. I heard that they have a pretty powerful sting. Would you like to test that out for us?