16 replies to this topic

[skocko76]

Hi all! Please help identify this queen, I have no idea where to start! I wasn't sure it was a queen at all, until I spotted the three ocelli on top of her head.

She does't look bulky, is she semi claustral?

Thanks everybody!!

 

1. Location of collection: Split, Croatia, Adriatic coast, on a rock not two feet away from the sea

2. Date of collection: 1st September 2018, around 4pm
3. Habitat of collection: Rocky coast with pine forest right next to the sea
4. Length : cca 6mm
5. Coloration, hue, pattern and texture: deep dark brown, almost black. Notable silvery/velvety stripes on gaster. Some silvery marks/sheen on top of thorax.
6. Distinguishing characteristics : Gaster looks plated, pine-cone like in texture, with silvery,velvery stripes. The photos do not show this properly - what looks like a flash sheen on gaster is actually coloring!
7. Anything else distinctive: not very bulky, semi claustral perhaps?
8. Nest description : n/a. 
9 . Post the clearest pictures possible: 

 

 

[MegaMyrmex]

Wow, I'm stumped. I would say either lasius or formica. Try feeding her some honey or sugar water, her gaster size is what's concerning me the most.

[LearningAntz]

I’m thinking Iridomyrmex cf. bicknelli, although I’m not all too familiar with ants outside of Canada.

EDIT: Really seems to be an Iridomyrmex sp. queen though, to me.

Edited by LearningAntz, September 4 2018 - 9:43 AM.

[skocko76]

Hm. Iridomyrmex should not be present in Europe though...

[GeorgeK]

Have you looked at Messor sp.?

[LearningAntz]

Hm. Iridomyrmex should not be present in Europe though...

I apologize. Don’t know much outside of Canada. I’d wait for someone more experienced in that area.

[skocko76]

Have you looked at Messor sp.?

 

Messors have a petiole and post-petiole, so it shouldn't be a Messor sp. 

I love Messors btw  

[skocko76]

The farthest I got, is to believe it is a Formica sp. The coloring even coincides with that of Formica fusca, but the queen size is way off.

F. fusca queen size should be in the range of 10-12mm, and this one half that...

[Nare]

Like the others, I'm thinking maybe Lasius or Formica of some sort. Have you considered perhaps if she's parasitic? I say this only because of her odd proportions. I'm sure there are lots of strange looking parasitic queens. She's got a nice pair of chompers too, which could be indicative of social parasitism.

[rbarreto]

Lepisiota sp.? I can't see that being Formica or Lasius.

[LearningAntz]

I can't see that being Formica or Lasius.

I was thinking that as well.

[skocko76]

Lepisiota sp.? I can't see that being Formica or Lasius.

 

Can you elaborate please (both on why not Formica, and why Lepisiota)?

I dismissed Lepisiota sp. as, per AntWiki, there are only L. frauenfeldi and L. nigra in Croatia. Both of which have strong thorax thorns and "fin shaped" thorax posterior. 

This specimen does not posses these features.

She does resemble Lepisiota capensis minuta, but then she is long way from home... https://www.antstore...iota_minuta.jpg

Edited by skocko76, September 6 2018 - 5:32 AM.

[AntsAreUs]

 

Lepisiota sp.? I can't see that being Formica or Lasius.

 

Can you elaborate please (both on why not Formica, and why Lepisiota)?

I dismissed Lepisiota sp. as, per AntWiki, there are only L. frauenfeldi and L. nigra in Croatia. Both of which have strong thorax thorns and "fin shaped" thorax posterior. 

This specimen does not posses these features.

She does resemble Lepisiota capensis minuta, but then she is long way from home... https://www.antstore...iota_minuta.jpg

 

I guess we'll have to wait for workers.

[Barristan]

I would say that it is Lepisiota nigra. The queen looks very similar to the one shown in the last picture on that website: http://fourmis-grece...iota-nigra.html

 

Formica have quite a large scale-like petiole. But this ant doesn't.

 

EDIT: Removed misleading link...

Edited by Barristan, September 7 2018 - 4:03 AM.

[skocko76]

I would say that it is Lepisiota nigra. The queen looks very similar to the one shown in the last picture on that website: http://fourmis-grece...iota-nigra.html

 

Formica have quite a large scale-like petiole. But this ant doesn't.

 

This website is also quite good to ID European queens. but I don't know what it means by "écaille basse". But you can see the huge scale-like petiole in the above picture and compare it to the one below. However also Lasius don't have such a huge scale but Lasius' eyes are quite small in comparison to the rest of the head and this ants has huge eyes.

It does indeed look like the one in the picture! I think you're spot on!

But why does the queen differ so much from images on AntWeb? 

https://www.antweb.o...tryName=Croatia

Notice the three ocelli, those should be queens, not workers. And they have prominent thorns. Which the queen in the picture (and mine) don't.

Confused.

Edited by skocko76, September 7 2018 - 3:13 AM.

[Barristan]

 

I would say that it is Lepisiota nigra. The queen looks very similar to the one shown in the last picture on that website: http://fourmis-grece...iota-nigra.html

 

Formica have quite a large scale-like petiole. But this ant doesn't.

 

This website is also quite good to ID European queens. but I don't know what it means by "écaille basse". But you can see the huge scale-like petiole in the above picture and compare it to the one below. However also Lasius don't have such a huge scale but Lasius' eyes are quite small in comparison to the rest of the head and this ants has huge eyes.

It does indeed look like the one in the picture! I think you're spot on!

But why does the queen differ so much from images on AntWeb? 

https://www.antweb.o...tryName=Croatia

Notice the three ocelli, those should be queens, not workers. And they have prominent thorns. Which the queen in the picture (and mine) don't.

Confused.

 

 Workers of some ant species also have ocelli. antweb only has pictures of workers.

[skocko76]

Thanks for the info!

And yep! It is Lepisiota nigra!

Check out the pictures in the blog I found:  http://www.myrmecofo...pic.php?t=24670

Thanks everyone!

Edited by skocko76, September 7 2018 - 4:41 AM.