11 replies to this topic

[Origional_Username]

Hello, I recently picked up an interest in ants and was wondering what species this is. Found several nests and collected some workers with peanut butter in an empty water bottle trap. The month of June has recently broke many heat records and the monsoon rains have yet to come to my area.

 

1. Location of collection: Glendale, Arizona
2. Date of collection: June 27th, 2016
3. Habitat of collection: Empty dirt/gravel lot with some weeds and small mesquite tree, within the city.
4. Length (from head to gaster):  6-8 mm (measured with poor quality ruler)
5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: Mostly black with reddish brown color in the gaster and under the head/mandibles
6. Distinguishing characteristics: 
7. Anything else distinctive: Bite and sting
8. Nest description: Wide diameter, short height ring around hole. Wide hole, could see into the first chamber at some angles. lots of workers

 

 

 

 

 

[Edit: add more pictures]

 

 

Edited by Origional_Username, June 28 2016 - 8:45 AM.

[Batspiderfish]

It's hard to see through the tube, but I would guess Pogonomyrmex rugosus.

[Origional_Username]

Thank you for your response. Any tips for a picture without the tube? Picture was taken with a camera phone so movement would be hard to frame at that close a range.

[Batspiderfish]

That glass makes for a decent enough container, but is rough and doesn't have the best visual properties. I would try a different container for pictures.

[Origional_Username]

Added 2 more pictures in different container to topic post. If the pictures are still not good enough I will just try alcohol preservation.

[Batspiderfish]

I'm sticking with my first ID.

[Origional_Username]

Thanks, does that make it solved?

 

Also, I went back to the nest site as I did not think to take a picture of the nest itself and all the ants were gone. Multiple nests and hundreds of ants, nowhere to be seen. It was later into the day than the collection visit, hotter with some wind so perhaps they were just inactive? Two nests about 20 paces apart, third roughly 40 from those and a fourth not in the same area all inactive/vacated. (was writing this as the last post came in)

[Batspiderfish]

Desert ants are not my forte, so I'd wait on a second opinion, but I think P. rugosus is the only large, dark harvester ant in your area (asides from Veromessor pergandei, but this worker is not very slender, shiny, nor dark enough.)
 

Pogonomyrmex will retire to the nest when outside conditions are too severe.

Edited by Batspiderfish, June 28 2016 - 11:08 AM.

[Origional_Username]

Thank you, you have been most helpful. I will continue to observe the nests closer to dawn. If it is indeed Pogonomyrmex then I might get lucky and find a queen sometime July according the the nuptial chart elsewhere on the forums.

[gcsnelling]

P. rugosus.

[dspdrew]

Thank you, you have been most helpful. I will continue to observe the nests closer to dawn. If it is indeed Pogonomyrmex then I might get lucky and find a queen sometime July according the the nuptial chart elsewhere on the forums.

 

You should be able to find some queens after the first good rain storm. I've always seen them fly late morning, but the queens continue to run around and dig their nests all the way into the night.

[Origional_Username]

Thanks everybody!