11 replies to this topic

[rdurham02]

Hi guys!

 

So I caught this guy while out looking for Camponotus. queens this early this afternoon. I was certain at first sighting it was a queen, but upon closer inspection I am not sure what it is, if even an ant at all! I would greatly appreciate any feedback on ID-ing this crazy rascal. Sorry for the poor quality photos, this guy would not stop spiraling around the test tube like a roller coaster.    I'm also a newbie, and this is my 1st anting season. I am still getting used to identifying queens and such.

 

1.) caught in Wells, Maine along a service road bordering some woodlands. 

 

2.) 4/27/17-date caught

 

3.) pine forest

 

4.) 2.5 mm, couldn't get an accurate length with its activity level but about 2/3rds of the size of my Lasius Umbratus queens I've been catching

 

5.) dark brown head, & thorax, bright orangish-red gaster... transluscent wings,shiny gaster

 

6.) Prominent thorax as wide as head segment, large spherical shaped gaster

 

7.) Crazily energetic; doing loopy-loops in the test tube. Also seems to have a somewhat small head section, which almost made me think it could be a drone along with mandibles that are hard to distinguish. 

 

8.) Found scurrying along pavement

 

 

 

[T.C.]

Not sure what that is, but it's not ant.

Sorry friend.

[Subverted]

Pretty sure based on the lack of a distinction between scape and funiculus that this is a wasp and not an ant but I could be being mislead by the quality of the photos.

 

If the antenna does not have a joint in it you do not have an ant on your hands.

[Salmon]

Looks like a male braconid wasp of some sort. Narrow waist rules out a sawfly, and chalcid wasps actually have elbowed antennae a bit like ants.

[Works4TheGood]

If the antenna does not have a joint in it you do not have an ant on your hands.

Right! Not a female ant anyway, which is what you were hoping for. I don't don't think the males have joints, but that's not what you're after.

[Bracchymyrmex]

Man you gotta do some research before you go asking is this fly an ant 

 

This should be helpful for you:

 

 

http://www.antwiki.o...hological_Terms

 

Edited by Bracchymyrmex, April 27 2017 - 7:18 PM.

[FSTP]

This is no ant and thusly should be killed immediately with a tiny hammer.

[rdurham02]

Thanks for the input guys! I was thoroughly confused by this small creature. Mystery solved!

Edited by rdurham02, April 28 2017 - 2:29 AM.

[Nathant2131]

To seperate a wasp from an ant, an ant will have both a funiculis and scape (thus, the antenna is jointed) and a petiole.

[Salmon]

Again, elbowed antennae do not distinguish all families of wasps from ants. Look at this chalcid wasp:



Bees and vespid wasps also have elbowed antennae, of course, but they probably aren't as likely to be mistaken for a queen. (If it buzzes, it's not an ant.)

[Salmon]

^ I'd like to note that I don't think the insect is a chalcid wasp. It's probably a male braconid wasp, like this:

 

[Connectimyrmex]

Ants actually do buzz. The noise is just so insignificant that people rarely hear it.