11 replies to this topic

[jpa24]

Do you have pavement ants in your area? Can you confidently identify them, or are you willing to try? If so, you could be instrumental in helping advance a cool research project investigating this important invasive species (and you may be able to earn a few bucks in the process!).

 

I am looking for fixed samples of the pavement ant, Tetramorium caesptium, from a broad geographic range across North America. Ideally, I would like approximately 30 individual workers per colony from three colonies in the same general area (e.g. within a 5-20 mile radius). The ants can be stored in fixative (e.g. alcohol), or they can simply be frozen and sent via express mail. All ants from the same colony can be kept in the same collection tube. If you know where to find colonies in your area, I don't expect collection should take very long at all (after the ants become active in the spring, of course - for those of you in colder climates).

 

I will pay for all necessary supplies and shipping, and I'll provide a more detailed set of instructions to anyone interested. If you're interested but are uncertain of your ID skills, I'm also willing to help with that (for instance, we could exchange photos of candidates until we have a positive ID). This collection will be used for a student research project, so funds are limited (there's not a ton of money out there for ant research!), but if it would provide some incentive, I can probably also offer some reasonable fee for your time. Regardless of a fee, I'm happy to acknowledge collectors in any publications or presentations that may come from this work.

 

If you're interested, please respond with your location, your familiarity with the species, and any other information that may be relevant for coordinating collection. Or if you know of someone else who may be interested and able to help, please pass this post along to them.

 

Thanks!

 

[Mettcollsuss]

Tetramorium caespitum is not in North America. The pavement ants in North America are a related species called Tetramorium immigrans. Second, they aren't really considered invasive. They don't harm native ecosystems and don't displace other ants. They are what is known as a naturalized invader.

[kalimant]

Tetramorium caespitum is not in North America. The pavement ants in North America are a related species called Tetramorium immigrans. Second, they aren't really considered invasive. They don't harm native ecosystems and don't displace other ants. They are what is known as a naturalized invader.

 

According to antweb there are introduced colonies in North America.

https://www.antweb.o...t=allantwebants

just wondering...is this for some academic institution (grad or undergrad student research) or some high school thing?

 

EDIT: Ah...perhaps antweb is just late...according to the below T. caespitum distribution is  "Whole Europe (after SEIFERT 2007 up to 63° N), Caucasus (Fig. 13)."

Wagner, H.C. et al (2017). Light at the end of the tunnel: Integrative taxonomy delimits cryptic species in the Tetramorium caespitum complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)”. Myrmecological News 25: 95-129

Edited by kalimant, April 4 2018 - 1:13 PM.

[AntsMaryland]

Do you have pavement ants in your area? Can you confidently identify them, or are you willing to try? If so, you could be instrumental in helping advance a cool research project investigating this important invasive species (and you may be able to earn a few bucks in the process!).

 

I am looking for fixed samples of the pavement ant, Tetramorium caesptium, from a broad geographic range across North America. Ideally, I would like approximately 30 individual workers per colony from three colonies in the same general area (e.g. within a 5-20 mile radius). The ants can be stored in fixative (e.g. alcohol), or they can simply be frozen and sent via express mail. All ants from the same colony can be kept in the same collection tube. If you know where to find colonies in your area, I don't expect collection should take very long at all (after the ants become active in the spring, of course - for those of you in colder climates).

 

I will pay for all necessary supplies and shipping, and I'll provide a more detailed set of instructions to anyone interested. If you're interested but are uncertain of your ID skills, I'm also willing to help with that (for instance, we could exchange photos of candidates until we have a positive ID). This collection will be used for a student research project, so funds are limited (there's not a ton of money out there for ant research!), but if it would provide some incentive, I can probably also offer some reasonable fee for your time. Regardless of a fee, I'm happy to acknowledge collectors in any publications or presentations that may come from this work.

 

If you're interested, please respond with your location, your familiarity with the species, and any other information that may be relevant for coordinating collection. Or if you know of someone else who may be interested and able to help, please pass this post along to them.

 

Thanks!

I sent you a pm. Love to help!

[AntsAreUs]

Tetramorium caespitum is not in North America. The pavement ants in North America are a related species called Tetramorium immigrans. Second, they aren't really considered invasive. They don't harm native ecosystems and don't displace other ants. They are what is known as a naturalized invader.

I thought it went Tetramorium caespitum - Tetramorium sp. E - and Tetramorium immigrans now. Would they all be considered synonyms?

[Penguin]

 

Tetramorium caespitum is not in North America. The pavement ants in North America are a related species called Tetramorium immigrans. Second, they aren't really considered invasive. They don't harm native ecosystems and don't displace other ants. They are what is known as a naturalized invader.

I thought it went Tetramorium caespitum - Tetramorium sp. E - and Tetramorium immigrans now. Would they all be considered synonyms?

 

 

T caespitum and T immigrans are 2 distinct species while, Tetramorium sp. E was just a placeholder until people figured out what species it actually was.

[Martialis]

Getting back to the actual topic of the post, I would be willing to do this for you.

[gcsnelling]

While I am not in a position to help I am curious as to the nature of the project.

[AntsAreUs]

 

 

Tetramorium caespitum is not in North America. The pavement ants in North America are a related species called Tetramorium immigrans. Second, they aren't really considered invasive. They don't harm native ecosystems and don't displace other ants. They are what is known as a naturalized invader.

I thought it went Tetramorium caespitum - Tetramorium sp. E - and Tetramorium immigrans now. Would they all be considered synonyms?

 

 

T caespitum and T immigrans are 2 distinct species while, Tetramorium sp. E was just a placeholder until people figured out what species it actually was.

 

Ok, thanks!

[jpa24]

Tetramorium caespitum is not in North America. The pavement ants in North America are a related species called Tetramorium immigrans. Second, they aren't really considered invasive. They don't harm native ecosystems and don't displace other ants. They are what is known as a naturalized invader.

Regarding the taxonomy of this group, it has recently been revised and is still in flux. The phylogeny and population biology of pavement ants is complex and still not completely understood (Wagner et al. 2017 notwithstanding), which is part of the purpose of the collection I am soliciting. The entire species complex was and still is known as the Tetramorium caespitum complex, and because the taxonomic revisions are recent, most people will still know North American pavement ants by this name.

 

Regarding the distinction between "invasive" and "naturalized invader", these terms are somewhat subjective depending on the degree of ecological harm you believe the non-native taxon in question is causing. In this case, reliable studies have not yet been done, but ecological niche theory dictates that there's no such thing as a free lunch. Tetramorium spp. is not native to North America and has become well established here. The resources it consumes must come from somewhere, and those resources formerly "belonged" to native fauna. Understanding the impact of this species (these species?) is another goal of this research.

 

Regardless, here's what's important for anyone reading this post who's interested in helping: whatever specific epithet you choose give them, if you can identify and collect pavement ants in your area of North America, I'd be interested in having some.  Thanks!

[jpa24]

 

Tetramorium caespitum is not in North America. The pavement ants in North America are a related species called Tetramorium immigrans. Second, they aren't really considered invasive. They don't harm native ecosystems and don't displace other ants. They are what is known as a naturalized invader.

 

According to antweb there are introduced colonies in North America.

https://www.antweb.o...t=allantwebants

just wondering...is this for some academic institution (grad or undergrad student research) or some high school thing?

 

EDIT: Ah...perhaps antweb is just late...according to the below T. caespitum distribution is  "Whole Europe (after SEIFERT 2007 up to 63° N), Caucasus (Fig. 13)."

Wagner, H.C. et al (2017). Light at the end of the tunnel: Integrative taxonomy delimits cryptic species in the Tetramorium caespitum complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)”. Myrmecological News 25: 95-129

 

This collection is for undergraduate/graduate level research at a college, with the intent to eventually publish the results. Thanks for asking!

[kalimant]

This collection is for undergraduate/graduate level research at a college, with the intent to eventually publish the results. Thanks for asking!

 

 

 

i'd go with the frozen scenario...i think it's illegal to ship alcohol via mail.