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Katy, Texas 3/18/18

Started By Spamdy , Mar 18 2018 4:47 PM
id texas

Best Answer theentomologist , March 28 2020 - 4:06 AM

I know this is an old posting, but this is definitely a Solenopsis species. Thinner build, completely smooth thorax and head, yellowish legs and antennae, a two segment antennal club with the terminal segment significantly longer, etc. Carebara is also not known from the immediate area, though I suppose it is possible.

Graham Montgomery has posted a similar Solenopsis queen from the southern tip of TX here:

https://bugguide.net...1496499/bgimage

This is probably the same thing or at least something similar. I have not found any mention of a dark Solenopsis queen with a rose/orange gaster in any literature. It'd be interesting to get to the bottom of this: perhaps a new color morph or species, or maybe the gaster color fades dark in mounted specimens and is not noticed.

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16 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Spamdy - Posted March 18 2018 - 4:47 PM

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1. Katy, Texas
2. 3/18/18
3. Tennis Court 

4. 5-6mm

5. Orange gaster, rest of body is black. Slightly hairy body.

6. Elongated body and gaster, 

7. Seems to curl gaster up for long periods of time.
8. N/A

9. 2-5 PM

 

Photo: Sorry for bad photos, had to do them quick.

 

Ys6UZxQ.jpg

 

IFb3ZPu.jpg

 

t86ec36.jpg

 

RGBn6r4.jpg


Edited by Spamdy, March 18 2018 - 4:48 PM.

All my colonies are dead. 

 

 Except:

  

  Pogonomyrmex barbatus

  Pheidole obscurithorax

  Pheidole morens

#2 Offline Ants4fun - Posted March 18 2018 - 8:19 PM

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Looks like solenopsis wasmannii species complex to me... That color is throwing me for a loop though.

Quite possibly a color variant of Solenopsis molesta.

Edited by Ants4fun, March 19 2018 - 4:37 AM.

#3 Offline Jonathan21700 - Posted March 19 2018 - 10:54 AM

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Is Monomorium a possibility? 

M. viridum maybe? 


Edited by Jonathan21700, March 19 2018 - 11:01 AM.

#4 Offline Ants4fun - Posted March 19 2018 - 1:13 PM

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Is Monomorium a possibility? 
M. viridum maybe?



I don't think so. Not hairy at all like M. viridum. And, the color is closer to S. molesta

#5 Offline ZllGGY - Posted March 19 2018 - 1:20 PM

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i think S.Molesta is a pretty good and accurate ID with that distinctive yellow colored gaster


Colonies:

 

Founding:

Camponotus cf. Modoc

Camponotus cf. Herculeanus

 

Dream Ants:

 

Stenamma Diecki

Solenopsis Molesta

Manica Invidia

Camponotus Herculeanus

Lasius Latipes

Dorymyrmex Pyramicus

Tapinoma Sessile

#6 Offline gcsnelling - Posted March 19 2018 - 2:38 PM

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Well I blew that one, see post below.


Edited by gcsnelling, September 23 2018 - 10:58 AM.

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#7 Offline ZllGGY - Posted March 20 2018 - 6:43 AM

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Solenopsis yes, molesta I highly doubt.

i mean they look pretty similar

 

Solenopsis yes, molesta I highly doubt.

can you explain how it is not molesta? just for further help since to me pictures seem to look almost identical to what the pictures here show


Colonies:

 

Founding:

Camponotus cf. Modoc

Camponotus cf. Herculeanus

 

Dream Ants:

 

Stenamma Diecki

Solenopsis Molesta

Manica Invidia

Camponotus Herculeanus

Lasius Latipes

Dorymyrmex Pyramicus

Tapinoma Sessile

#8 Offline Ants4fun - Posted March 20 2018 - 9:07 AM

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Solenopsis yes, molesta I highly doubt.

i mean they look pretty similar
 

Solenopsis yes, molesta I highly doubt.

can you explain how it is not molesta? just for further help since to me pictures seem to look almost identical to what the pictures here show

Color is very different in fact. Usually, there isn't much of a contrast between the gaster and the rest of the body.

#9 Offline ZllGGY - Posted March 20 2018 - 9:13 AM

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Solenopsis yes, molesta I highly doubt.

i mean they look pretty similar
 

Solenopsis yes, molesta I highly doubt.

can you explain how it is not molesta? just for further help since to me pictures seem to look almost identical to what the pictures here show

Color is very different in fact. Usually, there isn't much of a contrast between the gaster and the rest of the body.

 

guess youre right. molesta seems to have a more uniform color with a slightly lighter gaster?


Colonies:

 

Founding:

Camponotus cf. Modoc

Camponotus cf. Herculeanus

 

Dream Ants:

 

Stenamma Diecki

Solenopsis Molesta

Manica Invidia

Camponotus Herculeanus

Lasius Latipes

Dorymyrmex Pyramicus

Tapinoma Sessile

#10 Offline Ants4fun - Posted March 20 2018 - 9:45 AM

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Solenopsis yes, molesta I highly doubt.

i mean they look pretty similar
 

Solenopsis yes, molesta I highly doubt.

can you explain how it is not molesta? just for further help since to me pictures seem to look almost identical to what the pictures here show

Color is very different in fact. Usually, there isn't much of a contrast between the gaster and the rest of the body.
guess youre right. molesta seems to have a more uniform color with a slightly lighter gaster?

Correct

#11 Offline ZllGGY - Posted March 20 2018 - 9:59 AM

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Correct

 

well i know where a molesta colony is near me so i guess i can study them and collect specimens 


Colonies:

 

Founding:

Camponotus cf. Modoc

Camponotus cf. Herculeanus

 

Dream Ants:

 

Stenamma Diecki

Solenopsis Molesta

Manica Invidia

Camponotus Herculeanus

Lasius Latipes

Dorymyrmex Pyramicus

Tapinoma Sessile

#12 Offline gcsnelling - Posted September 23 2018 - 10:57 AM

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At long last the winner is  Carebara longii


Edited by gcsnelling, September 23 2018 - 10:57 AM.

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#13 Offline MegaMyrmex - Posted September 26 2018 - 2:33 PM

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At long last the winner is Carebara longii

Second that. The body size is way too slim for any solenopsis I’ve seen in my life.

Proverbs 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
    consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
    and gathers its food at harvest.

 

#14 Offline theentomologist - Posted March 28 2020 - 4:06 AM   Best Answer

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I know this is an old posting, but this is definitely a Solenopsis species. Thinner build, completely smooth thorax and head, yellowish legs and antennae, a two segment antennal club with the terminal segment significantly longer, etc. Carebara is also not known from the immediate area, though I suppose it is possible.

Graham Montgomery has posted a similar Solenopsis queen from the southern tip of TX here:

https://bugguide.net...1496499/bgimage

This is probably the same thing or at least something similar. I have not found any mention of a dark Solenopsis queen with a rose/orange gaster in any literature. It'd be interesting to get to the bottom of this: perhaps a new color morph or species, or maybe the gaster color fades dark in mounted specimens and is not noticed.


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#15 Offline Spamdy - Posted April 9 2020 - 3:06 PM

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I know this is an old posting, but this is definitely a Solenopsis species. Thinner build, completely smooth thorax and head, yellowish legs and antennae, a two segment antennal club with the terminal segment significantly longer, etc. Carebara is also not known from the immediate area, though I suppose it is possible.

Graham Montgomery has posted a similar Solenopsis queen from the southern tip of TX here:

https://bugguide.net...1496499/bgimage

This is probably the same thing or at least something similar. I have not found any mention of a dark Solenopsis queen with a rose/orange gaster in any literature. It'd be interesting to get to the bottom of this: perhaps a new color morph or species, or maybe the gaster color fades dark in mounted specimens and is not noticed.

Hey, I would like to follow up on this thread, for the past two days there's been an incredible amount of nuptial flights of this species around where I live. This species seems to extremely common, but I have never seen workers from this species in the past. I have collected both male and female alates, but I am not planning on raising them. Please follow up if interested. 


All my colonies are dead. 

 

 Except:

  

  Pogonomyrmex barbatus

  Pheidole obscurithorax

  Pheidole morens

#16 Offline ponerinecat - Posted April 9 2020 - 7:05 PM

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not longii.


#17 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted April 9 2020 - 7:53 PM

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Some sort of subterranean Solenopsis, it looks like.

Edited by Ant_Dude2908, April 9 2020 - 7:54 PM.

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