15 replies to this topic

[NanceUSMC]

Was an eventful morning!  Walked out to the truck this morning to go to work, and saw a winged queen on the side of my truck!  Scooped her into a tube, and went to work.....

 

Stepped outside to take a personal call about an hour later, and found another!  Scooped her up, and 15 minutes later found another! lol

 

Wasn't even thinking about queen hunting...  They found me...  heh

 

Best pictures I can get for now...  They've been transferred out of these temporary tubes into test tube setups, so it may be possible to get better later once they've had a chance to settle in and de-stress a bit...

 

Unfortunately, the 2nd one died in the container while sitting at my desk (no sunlight, out of harms way), but if possible I'd still like to try and get an ID on her (or him if it ends up being an alate)

 

My first ID requests, so hopefully I've gotten all the requested information...

 

Queen #1 (Facebook group has ID'd as Pheidole)

Caught on the side of my truck in front of my house around 0650 this morning (5/16/18).  Fort Worth, Texas neighborhood.  No nuptial flight that I witnessed, and I am not aware of any close by Pheidole colonies (doesn't mean there aren't any, I just haven't seen them).  She is approximately 4mm long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Queen #2 

Caught among what LOOK like (to me anyway) monomorium.  She is ~4mm in length (she's smaller than what the photo makes it appear).  She was found next to the building, on the sidewalk.  Fort Worth, Texas city block (hospital office building).  Was not quick, but did make an effort to elude capture.  No nuptial flight was witnessed.  Very difficult to tell the body color or pattern with the wings still intact.  Can really only tell body shape with the angles I am able to get photos from.  I suspect she may be the same as #3, however she is noticeably smaller.  She died after about an hour in the container.

 

 

 

 

 

Queen #3

Caught approximately 25 feet from where #2 was captured. Walking across the parking lot.  Was very quick and difficult to corral.  Ran laps around the container I had her in for hours.  Gaster is banded.  A bit more 'tan' than the photo appears.  ~6mm in length.

 

 

Edited by NanceUSMC, May 16 2018 - 1:37 PM.

[Canadian anter]

First in a Monomorium sp

 

Second is Brachymyrmex patangonius or obscurior

 

3rd is some kind of Dorymyrmex

[NanceUSMC]

Thanks!

[VoidElecent]

First in a Monomorium sp

 

Second is Brachymyrmex patangonius or obscurior

 

3rd is some kind of Dorymyrmex

 

I suppose the only factor of the first queen indicative of Monomorium is the size; I would have gone with Pheidole. I agree with the others.

[Canadian anter]

Oh my bad, I meant Pheidole

[NanceUSMC]

I'm just stoked to find something other than Invicta (have found ~a dozen of those so far) lol

[123LordOfAnts123]

#3 is Forelius.

[NanceUSMC]

#3 is Forelius.

 

I can see that...  hhmm...

[YsTheAnt]

#3 is Forelius.

I can see that... hhmm...

I would say Dorymyrmex, but it is possible that you have a forelius queen.

[NanceUSMC]

if it would help, I can TRY to get a somewhat better image?

 

She's pretty fast, and when I have her in the light she doesn't sit still very long...  any images I'm able to capture are nothing more than pure luck

[Mortamir]

Put her in the fridge for a bit. That will slow her down.

[NanceUSMC]

Got a few more shots...  She's laid about a dozen eggs and has calmed down considerably as a result..  she didn't zoom around the tube this time, and instead tried to find a place to move the eggs out of the light...  (took about 300 pictures, and 2 very crap videos, to get these lol)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by NanceUSMC, May 18 2018 - 12:22 PM.

[Canadian anter]

Oh. looks like Forelius

[NanceUSMC]

Oh. looks like Forelius

 

After reading the writeup on them, particularly about how fast they reproduce, and with her laying eggs so fast, I think I'm inclined to sway that way as well...  I intentionally passed on the Invicta queens because of exploding populations...  wondering if I should perhaps do the same with this one..

[NanceUSMC]

Welp, that decision got made for me real fast...  laid a batch of eggs and died this afternoon sometime...  =\  

[NanceUSMC]

Best image I've been able to get so far (have caught 3 more to replace the one that died last week)...  I'm pretty convinced it's a Forelius mccooki, but if not I'm interested in what I missed in my research

 

 

 

research from http://mississippien...tm#.WwXdP0gvyHs