24 replies to this topic

[dean_k]

Location : They were flying on my driveway. There is a small park ahead of my house. Caught on my driveway in Waterdown (Close to Toronto), Ontario, Canada.

Date : Caught her on 24th of September

Length : About 0.8 cm from head to gaster

Hue : Dark brown head & thorax / light brown gaster (However, another queen of the same kind I have is light brown head & thorax / even lighter brown gaster )

 

It is Lasius sp. I'd like to know the full species name though.

No idea about nest since they were found on my drive way.

 

 

 

 

Added :

Edited by dean_k, January 30 2015 - 10:16 AM.

[Alza]

can you take more pictures with lighting ?

[Gregory2455]

Better lighting is necessary.

[Alza]

lasius sp confirmed. until we have lighting 

[dean_k]

 

This is the best I can do. Camera light keeps getting reflected due the glass tube getting foggy when out of my fridge.

[Gregory2455]

Looks fully clausteral.

[WeatherAnt]

Looks like Lasius sp. (probably neoniger) to me.

[benjiwuf]

I was thinking that just based off antwiki browsing I've done in the past, lasius neoniger. however don't take my opinion to heart.

[Crystals]

It is very hard to ID Lasius ant queens down to species.  You usually have to wait for the workers.

Flying late September is usually Lasius neoniger, but it could be any other fully claustral Lasius species as well.

[dean_k]

Lasius neoniger, it is then.

[Mercutia]

Lasius sp.

 

Lasius neoniger is common in our region but like Crystals said, the queens are very hard to narrow down to a species. Workers are much easier.

[Alza]

there is no question about it! lasius neoniger confirmed 

[Mercutia]

I wouldn't say the ID has been confirmed. There are other Lasius queens that it could be, like Lasius crypticus or Lasius flavus. It just happens that Lasius neoniger is the most common in that particular area making it the most likely pick for an ID. I would still wait for the workers to confirm.

[Alza]

lasius neoniger confirmed - until workers arive 

[Gregory2455]

Stop using the word confirmed in the ID requests. It is not confirmed- it is plausible.

[Alza]

Gregory insanus confirmed. Can we have more pictures of the queen btw ?

[AntsAreUs]

If that is not Lasius neoniger then I'm going to say Lasius alienus

[dean_k]

I have two of them actually.

 

One's dark brown. The other is light brown. They were caught from the same nuptial flight, so I assume they are of the same sp. I guess we won't be able to fully confirm its sp until workers come... which is months away since they are in hibernation.

[dean_k]

The nanitic is too small to get big and clear picture. And I don't own DSLR yet. Their size (nanitic) is 2mm at best.

 

Can anyone ID the workers somehow from this video?

 

Edit: You can get a good look of a worker by 1:50.

 

Edited by dean_k, January 28 2015 - 3:24 PM.

[Michaelofvancouver]

Well I know that's not Lasius alienus, since they have much darker workers.

Are those nanitics fully colored? Like when did they eclose?
If they're fully darkened I'd have to say they're most likely Lasius neoniger. I might be wrong though, since I'm a complete noob at Id-ing.