11 replies to this topic

[brasch]

 
Body:
1. Location of collection: park Memphis, Tennessee, USA

2. Date of collection: 9.25.18

3. Habitat of collection: hillside shaded by a large tree with poor grass cover.

4. Length: 5 - 6 mm 

5. Coloration: dark redish-orange,

hue: reddish,

pattern: striped bald

texture: its tiny, so it's really hard to get texture. 

6. Distinguishing characteristics: tiny, large gaster 

7. Anything else distinctive: it seemed really chillax in the test tube setup. like, grooming it's massive gaster 

8. Nest description

9. Nuptial flight: i did not witness any kind of flight event, but i am pretty sure i had 2 of the tiniest all black males follow me home.
 

 

Edited by brasch, September 28 2018 - 4:29 AM.

[brasch]

Prenolepis imparis?

[xTNxANTMANx]

This isn't an ID but I see you posted you caught it in Memphis. I take it you are in Tennessee? I'm also in Tennessee not far from Memphis and actually come to Memphis every so often because my fiance's parents live there.

[brasch]

Prenolepis imparis?

i'm not sure it's an imparis.  i do think it's a prenolepis.  i did some research and found:

"An unusual case of an unseasonal mating flight occurring in the Sierra Nevadas, California in October, 2001 was observed by Alex Wild (pers. comm. September 9, 2015). Two queens were collected, one of which is imaged on AntWeb.org (Figure 9). The queens appear to be of a Prenolepis species but are much smaller and with less pilosity than those of Prenolepis imparis. These may be smaller Prenolepis imparis queens (called “microgynes”) or those of an undescribed species. More specimens and further differences will be necessary to determine if this is truly a distinct species (Williams and LaPolla 2016)."

 

This isn't an ID but I see you posted you caught it in Memphis. I take it you are in Tennessee? I'm also in Tennessee not far from Memphis and actually come to Memphis every so often because my fiance's parents live there.

cool!! what ants do you keep?

[VoidElecent]

Are you sure she is 8mm? She looks like Brachymyrmex depilis.

[brasch]

 

Prenolepis imparis?

i'm not sure it's an imparis.  i do think it's a prenolepis.  i did some research and found:

"An unusual case of an unseasonal mating flight occurring in the Sierra Nevadas, California in October, 2001 was observed by Alex Wild (pers. comm. September 9, 2015). Two queens were collected, one of which is imaged on AntWeb.org (Figure 9). The queens appear to be of a Prenolepis species but are much smaller and with less pilosity than those of Prenolepis imparis. These may be smaller Prenolepis imparis queens (called “microgynes”) or those of an undescribed species. More specimens and further differences will be necessary to determine if this is truly a distinct species (Williams and LaPolla 2016)."

 

So.. now I'm thinking Lasius neoniger.. i know the pics aren't great, i only have the camera on my phone.  lasius seems like a better fit, b/c of the nuptial flight times.

[brasch]

Are you sure she is 8mm? She looks like Brachymyrmex depilis.

 

you're right on the size.  she is closer to 5-6 mm.  that test tube was a halloween accessory, so it's a little over sized, which makes her look even smaller!!

[VoidElecent]

 

Are you sure she is 8mm? She looks like Brachymyrmex depilis.

 

 

you're right on the size.  she is closer to 5-6 mm.  that test tube was a halloween accessory, so it's a little over sized, which makes her look even smaller!!

 

 

[xTNxANTMANx]

My signature says everything that I keep at the moment. And the picture of the queen you are trying to ID does indeed look to be a Lasius sp. I can't say for sure which species has the picture / video aren't that clear. She does look to be similar to the same species I recently caught as well as the one I caught last year and now have a colony with. Once I get home in a few hours I will get some pictures and post them so you can compare them. Is this the only Queen you have?

[brasch]

 

 

Are you sure she is 8mm? She looks like Brachymyrmex depilis.

 

 

you're right on the size.  she is closer to 5-6 mm.  that test tube was a halloween accessory, so it's a little over sized, which makes her look even smaller!!

 

 

 

 

so you still think Brachymyrmex depilis? its really hard to find average size online.  there's a lot of info, but i haven't found an resource that will consistently tell me the average size of the queen.  this little lady looks like Brachymyrmex depilis, lasius neoniger, and the false honeypot ant, but i don't have the equipment to get a really good photo.  what do you recommend for high quality close ups?  usb microscope?

[LC3]

Lasius neoniger and Prenolepis imparis are both closer to 10mm (8-9mm en average) in length. That queen does not look like it exceeds 5mm. The Prenolepis of California are rather odd and not of the norm for this species. The ones in the eastern US are more or less the same in that they fly during Febuary to March, don't have microgynes, and tend to be an orangeish colour as well as having disproportionately long antennae (as with all Prenolepis).

[brasch]

Lasius neoniger and Prenolepis imparis are both closer to 10mm (8-9mm en average) in length. That queen does not look like it exceeds 5mm. The Prenolepis of California are rather odd and not of the norm for this species. The ones in the eastern US are more or less the same in that they fly during Febuary to March, don't have microgynes, and tend to be an orangeish colour as well as having disproportionately long antennae (as with all Prenolepis).

 

so would you say Brachymyrmex depilis as well?  that would mean i found a brachymyrmex, a trachymyrmex and i just found another one today, but it's nothing like i've seen before, so i'll post that id req next.