9 replies to this topic

[komethunter]

       i was walking along lake shore in etobicoke about 10 minutes from the lake i am not sure at all what it could be i think it might be some type of Formica but this is my first year of keeping ants i only started in jun so far i have 1 camponotus pennsylvanicus , 3 camponotus novaeboracensis and now this one 

 

1. Location of collection: etobicoke lake-shore

2. Date of collection: 24 July 2018

3. Habitat of collection: on the road next to the curb

4. Length: Queen: 14mm

5. Coloration, hue, pattern and texture:black with dark red/brown legs if looking really close kinda looks like a smaller version of camponotus pennsylvanicus 

6. Distinguishing characteristics: grayish band / sheen on gaster really reactive to light runs around in light of any kind except red really fast and agile 

Edited by komethunter, July 27 2018 - 2:30 PM.

[komethunter]

i can't post the pictures its say's i am not permitted to up load this type of file how do i add a picture 

[AntsAreUs]

i can't post the pictures its say's i am not permitted to up load this type of file how do i add a picture 

It would be best to use an image hosting website such as imgur.com or the gallery on this forum.

Edited by AntsAreUs, July 27 2018 - 2:37 PM.

[Penguin]

How to post photos, I recommend you read the stickied posts on the top left of the home screen as I see you're a newer member.

[VoidElecent]

Could be Camponotus herculeanus, I suppose.

[Major]

Yeah, most likely Camponotus Hurculeanus like Void said. Pics would help confirm this though.

[LearningAntz]

Is the propodeum reddish-brown? If so, it’s probably Camponotus herculeanus.

[LC3]

I think this is more likely a Formica species given OP’s description. Especially pertaining to the shiny band on the gaster and being extremely agile, Camponotus shouldn’t be flying at all by now.

[LearningAntz]

I think this is more likely a Formica species given OP’s description. Especially pertaining to the shiny band on the gaster and being extremely agile, Camponotus shouldn’t be flying at all by now.

I’ve yet to see a Formica species at 14mm in Canada. That seems far too large to me, and some of my Camponotus herculeanus queens are around that measurement and they also do seem to have shiny bands. However it is strange that their queen seems to be quite agile and sensitive to light. I’d also caught a Camponotus novaeboracensis queen just about 2 weeks ago, so I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of flights not occurring anymore. Although I may very well be wrong in my presumption of it being Camponotus herculeanus.

[dermy]

While 14mm does seem big for a Formica, I would like to know how OP measured said queen. If it was just a estimate it could be off by quite a bit, and I've yet to see a Camponotus herculeanus this late (could be a queen that had bad luck or a run in with someone uprooting a stump maybe] but the big thing for me is this:

 

grayish band / sheen on gaster

 

But we will never know until he posts an image of said ant to be 100% sure.