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East Arkansas Winged Ant ID 9/4/17


Best Answer VoidElecent , September 4 2017 - 3:44 PM

I think it could be Myrmecina americana.

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#1 Offline Wren - Posted September 4 2017 - 3:39 PM

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1. Location of collection (ie: park/area, city/town, state/province, country). East Arkansas, about an hour west of Memphis

2. Date of collection (more important for ID's of queens).  9/4/17
3. Habitat of collection.  I live next to a mixed hardwood forest.  This ant was found under a flower pot.
4. Length (to the nearest millimeter or 1/16th of an inch.) 5 mm
5. Coloration, hue, pattern and texture. Be as specific as possible, and you can use the diagram below if you need it.  Completely black, looked smooth
6. Distinguishing characteristics.  long antenna with a goal post shape. 
7. Anything else distinctive (ie: odor, behavior, characteristics relative to others in the colony, etc.). Fairly calm
8. Nest description.  Unsure.  It was under a flower pot

 

I am very new to this, as I just decided to try keeping an ant colony a few weeks ago.  My first few "queens" turned out to be Camponotus majors.  At first I thought this might be a drone, but the gaster seems more rounded than what I have seen in pictures of drones.  If it is a drone, I will let it go and give it a chance to mate.  

 

I apologize in advance for the poor picture quality.  The only thing I could come up with to get even this good of a picture was to use my phone and a magnifying glass.  If there are specific details that I could look for and describe that would make it easier to identify, please let me know and I will do my best.

 

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#2 Offline VoidElecent - Posted September 4 2017 - 3:44 PM   Best Answer

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I think it could be Myrmecina americana.



#3 Offline Wren - Posted September 4 2017 - 4:06 PM

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The wings make it impossible for me to check for spikes, but the coloration and build looks very similar, so you may be right.  Maybe she will remove the wings soon and I can get a better look.  



#4 Offline ultraex2 - Posted September 5 2017 - 11:58 AM

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Also, just so you know - this queen is more than likely semi-claustral so it will need to be fed occasionally during founding and be able to forage.



#5 Offline Wren - Posted September 5 2017 - 4:13 PM

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I thought it might be based on gaster size. I have put some honey in there and will pick up fruit flies tomorrow.



#6 Offline Wren - Posted September 8 2017 - 12:05 PM

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She finally broke off her wings and I could see the spine.  Now I am just waiting to see if she is fertile.


Edited by Wren, September 8 2017 - 5:49 PM.





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