8 replies to this topic

[Loops117]

Hey guys, buddy of mine caught these and tried getting an ID on facebook. His images didn’t come out too well, so I gave it a try. These are what I came up with. But first, I will fill out the form…to the best of my ability.

 

Queen ID South East Michigan 6-5-17

1. Location of collection South east Michigan, in a log.

2. Date of collection 5/25/17

3. Habitat of collection “Under a cement block in the woods”

4. Length Roughly 10mm. (I didn’t have a measuring tool with me)

5. Coloration, Black mesosma, dark red legs and gaster,

6. Distinguishing characteristics Very large compared to her workers. Has very long, slender body. Haters will say it’s a beetle.

7. Anything else distinctive She looks to be part of the Ponerini tribe, but she is uncharacteristically HUGE compared to the rest of the species. Next idea was that she’s some species of army ant.

8. Nest description “Under a cement block in the woods”

9 . Post the clearest pictures possible of the top, side, and face of the ant in question, and if possible, their nest and the habitat they were collected in.

 

 

 

 

Thank you.

[ultraex2]

Some type of ponera - possibly pennsylvanica?

[Martialis]

Woah- this is a dracula ant! Stigmatomma pallipes. I believe Amblyoponinae used to be part of Ponerinae, so close enough. 

 

Heck, I'm pretty sure Stigmattoma used to be in the Ponerini tribe! 

 

They need geophilomorph centipedes (best offered alive) like these offered by Bugs In Cyberspace:

 

http://shop.bugsincy...rpha-bic613.htm

 

As for the workers, they might be nanitics. Because of their vampire-esque feeding habits, it can take nine months for a single larvae to develop into a worker!

 

See 123LordOfAnts123's comment below.

Edited by Martialis, June 5 2017 - 12:39 PM.

[Loops117]

I may buy these from my buddy. What an awesome species

[123LordOfAnts123]

This is a super nice find. However, she's not an ant.

This is a wasp of the Tiphiidae subfamily Brachycistidinae. Females are burrowing specialists and parasitic predators of beetle larvae, though much of their ecology is unknown. The males are winged, much larger, and certainly more commonly collected. Due to the extreme dimorphism, sexes can be nearly impossible to assign to a single species unless observed mating. As far as species go, most remain undescribed.

Edited by 123LordOfAnts123, June 5 2017 - 8:33 AM.

[Martialis]

This is a super nice find. However, she's not an ant.

This is a wasp of the Tiphiidae subfamily Brachycistidinae. Females are burrowing specialists and parasitic predators of beetle larvae, though much of the ecology is unknown. The males are winged, much larger, and certainly more commonly collected. Due to the extreme dimorphism, sexes can be nearly impossible to assign to a single species unless observed mating. As far as species go, most remain undescribed.

 

You sure? Stigmatomma are very wasp-like in appearance. The petiole seems to be in view as well. 

 

Edit: I think you might be right.

Edited by Martialis, June 5 2017 - 8:34 AM.

[123LordOfAnts123]

This is a super nice find. However, she's not an ant.
This is a wasp of the Tiphiidae subfamily Brachycistidinae. Females are burrowing specialists and parasitic predators of beetle larvae, though much of the ecology is unknown. The males are winged, much larger, and certainly more commonly collected. Due to the extreme dimorphism, sexes can be nearly impossible to assign to a single species unless observed mating. As far as species go, most remain undescribed.

 
You sure? Stigmatomma are very wasp-like in appearance. The petiole seems to be in view as well. 
 
Edit: I think you might be right.

For starters the characteristic mandibles are completely missing and eyes are present. It's almost twice the size of Stigmatomma. The femurs are swollen and an epicnemial suture is entirely absent, attributes common for Brachycistidinae. It honestly looks nothing like Stigmatomma, and IMHO hardly like an ant.

[Martialis]

 

 

This is a super nice find. However, she's not an ant.
This is a wasp of the Tiphiidae subfamily Brachycistidinae. Females are burrowing specialists and parasitic predators of beetle larvae, though much of the ecology is unknown. The males are winged, much larger, and certainly more commonly collected. Due to the extreme dimorphism, sexes can be nearly impossible to assign to a single species unless observed mating. As far as species go, most remain undescribed.

 
You sure? Stigmatomma are very wasp-like in appearance. The petiole seems to be in view as well. 
 
Edit: I think you might be right.

For starters the characteristic mandibles are completely missing and eyes are present. It's almost twice the size of Stigmatomma. The femurs are swollen and an epicnemial suture is entirely absent, attributes common for Brachycistidinae. It honestly looks nothing like Stigmatomma, and IMHO hardly like an ant.

 

 

It does look Ponerine, although I do believe you to be correct in all other ways.

[Loops117]

 

 

This is a super nice find. However, she's not an ant.
This is a wasp of the Tiphiidae subfamily Brachycistidinae. Females are burrowing specialists and parasitic predators of beetle larvae, though much of the ecology is unknown. The males are winged, much larger, and certainly more commonly collected. Due to the extreme dimorphism, sexes can be nearly impossible to assign to a single species unless observed mating. As far as species go, most remain undescribed.

 
You sure? Stigmatomma are very wasp-like in appearance. The petiole seems to be in view as well. 
 
Edit: I think you might be right.

For starters the characteristic mandibles are completely missing and eyes are present. It's almost twice the size of Stigmatomma. The femurs are swollen and an epicnemial suture is entirely absent, attributes common for Brachycistidinae. It honestly looks nothing like Stigmatomma, and IMHO hardly like an ant.

 

 

Thank you sir for you teachings.