3 replies to this topic

[RickyK]

My son is interested in ants because of AntsCanada YouTube. Anyway, he has caught 2 small ants on the same day, yesterday may 30 in the early morning. 1 large ant about 4 days ago. We are having trouble with ID. Husband thinks smaller 2 aren't even queens. I can't seem to take a not- blurry photo.

Color: all 3 mostly black. Darker brown legs. Lighter stripes on abdomen.

Size: didn't put ruler in tube. Very approximately 7mm. Larger one 13mm.

Location: pavement in a neighborhood. San jose.

Time: 2 small ones in early morning. 1 large one in early evening.

How do you guys take pictures? Do you zoom? Use a magnifying glass?

Thanks and I won't be surprised if you can't ID with such poor quality photos.

https://imgur.com/a/mHPeMJs

Edited by RickyK, May 30 2018 - 9:41 AM.

[T.C.]

They are both queens, the first one is Tetramorium sp. The second i'm not sure, looks like Formica sp. though? Where these both caught recently?

 

Edit, it says they where caught may 30th which you also called "yesterday." Today is May 30th.

Edited by T.C., May 30 2018 - 9:50 AM.

[LC3]

These photos aren’t that bad, thanks for including the necessary info. There is an ID template on the forum to make things easier by the way.
http://www.formicult...t-a-new-thread/

The smaller species (definitely a queen by the way) is Tetramorium immigrans, aka the pavement ant.

Second queen is most likely the black variety of a carpenter ant species, Camponotus vicinus.

[RickyK]

@T.C. Haha! Yesterday, May 30^^;;

 

Thank you for the ID! It gives us a direction to go off of. I thought larger one might be a carpenter ant, but had no idea on the smaller ones.  They haven't laid eggs yet...I'll tell my son when he gets home from school. He is 9