9 replies to this topic

[Plantfreak1]

I was visiting family this week in logandale Nevada. For those of you unfamiliar with the area it is about 1 hour and 40 minutes north of Las Vegas.
The area is a sandy desert dominated by larrea tridentata,(cresote bush) and sagebrush.

The queen was found around noon 10 feet away from an existing nest. The temperature was about 80 degrees farenheight and the nights have been down in the low 50's. Humidity was around 30% with no recent rainfall.
To the best of my ability I have measured the queen and have found her to be 12-15mm in length. Her head and abdomen are are orange, and her throrax is black.

For those of you concerned for her health she is in good condition. Frequently grooming herself and accepting offerings of sugar water on a cotton swab.

Any attempts at an ID will help my cousin and I to provide her with the best environment possible to start our first ant farm. I hope we can get everything set up before I leave town.

Thank you all in advance.

[gcsnelling]

Myrmecocystus of some sort

[Plantfreak1]

Are there any other possibilities? I've been looking at that genus and none of them really seem to match up.
If it helps, I'm seeing no bumps between the thorax and abdomen, and no spikes or spines anywhere on its body.

[dspdrew]

I doubt it. That is one cool looking honeypot ant... definitely not a species I've ever found. One thing I've learned about Myrmecocystus is how totally different the queens can look color-wise compared to their workers. Hope she's successful!

[kellakk]

Wow, that looks a lot like the purple-backed Myrmecocystus we found last year. We were never able to really tell what it was besides guessing that it was just a strange form of M. mimicus .

[dspdrew]

Wow, that looks a lot like the purple-backed Myrmecocystus we found last year. We were never able to really tell what it was besides guessing that it was just a strange form of M. mimicus .

 

I was pretty sure about the ID after both the queen and workers keying out to M. mimicus.

[Plantfreak1]

Alright! thanks a bunch everyone!

[Plantfreak1]

Here is an update on the queen!
Now that there are some workers and I have gotten a better picture of her do we still agree on M. mimicus?

Attached Images

• 

Edited by Plantfreak1, June 5 2016 - 12:48 PM.

[gcsnelling]

Myrmecocystus yes, M. mimicus? your guess is as good as mine.

[dspdrew]

The queen definitely looks like a lot of the queens we caught last season, after kellakk mentioned it. I had one that ended up with workers that look very similar to these. I am yet to hunt down a large worker and pin it up. Once I do, I might be able to get it ID'd. I think it's possible this could be the same species.