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Queen - Rollingstone, Queensland, Australia - 23/12/2018


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#1 Offline CoolColJ - Posted December 22 2018 - 9:13 PM

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23/12/2018
found under a rock, farm in Rollingstone, Queensland

The farm is at the base of the paluma range. That’s about 300 km South of Cairns

 

Length - 12.5-13mm

Someone I know found her under a rock.

It looks like a Carebara of some sort?
Which are not that common here in Australia, but Carebara affinis are present in tropical areas here.
Since Rollingstone, Queenlsand is a tropical area, it is a possibility

The head is large like a Carebara, and the gaster reminds me of one as well.




Edited by CoolColJ, December 27 2018 - 3:22 AM.

Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#2 Offline LC3 - Posted December 22 2018 - 10:33 PM

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Hi,

 

the pictures do not show that too well but if you count the number of articles of the antennal club should be three for Pheidole and 2 for Carebara IIRC. I would love to find one of those queens as Pheidole antipodum seems to be one of the most spectacular Pheidole we have in Australia. I have seen once a flight of what now is Pheidole dispar (what was called Machomyrma) and it was a specially spectacular sight with thousands of workers and alates pouring from underground tunnels forming almost a carpet, this was in Brisbane at the DPIF labs in Oxley, cannot remember if it was spring or autumn, definitely was not summer, but was in 2001 so a long time ago.

 

P.S.: Could you ask your friend fr the time of the day and the weather conditions? Cool overcast or Sunny and warm day, after rain that sort of stuff? Thank you

 

Queen does looks like one of the former Pheidologeton species with that huge head. 



#3 Offline CoolColJ - Posted December 22 2018 - 11:36 PM

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Added one more pic to original post.

Her head reminds me of diversa.
Thorax seems smaller than most Carebara

I can't think of any other genus this ant could belong to in Australia.
Does not look like affinis, and not large enough

Almost looks like a Pheidole major's head on a queen's body :)

Edited by CoolColJ, December 22 2018 - 11:37 PM.

Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#4 Offline AntsBC - Posted December 23 2018 - 6:02 PM

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After some quick research, I would agree, Carebara affinis seems to most accurately display this queen ("No ocellus, body weakly sculptured, relatively smaller in size and reddish brown in color"). Although, with 5 other Carebara spp. and 45 other Pheidole spp. present in Queensland, I can't be too too certain :lol: . Some better shots of her head would be appreciated.


Edited by AntsBC, December 23 2018 - 6:11 PM.

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#5 Offline CoolColJ - Posted December 23 2018 - 6:35 PM

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After some quick research, I would agree, Carebara affinis seems to most accurately display this queen ("No ocellus, body weakly sculptured, relatively smaller in size and reddish brown in color"). Although, with 5 other Carebara spp. and 45 other Pheidole spp. present in Queensland, I can't be too too certain :lol: . Some better shots of her head would be appreciated.


Most of the Carebara species in Australia are pure Carebara, and not former Pheidologeton renamed as Carebara.
I think only affinis and one other species falls into this catergory.
Then again some of the other Carebara species here do have that Pheidole larger head look with big headed majors, but very rarely seen.

Getting a closer pic of the head might be hard as the finder only has a mobile phone with clip on macro.

Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#6 Offline CoolColJ - Posted December 23 2018 - 6:41 PM

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Some Pheidologeton queens. Diversa top right.
Very similar characteristics to this queen, the gaster shape in particular


Edited by CoolColJ, December 23 2018 - 6:42 PM.

Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#7 Offline CoolColJ - Posted December 23 2018 - 6:43 PM

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Carebara affinis queen


Edited by CoolColJ, December 23 2018 - 6:56 PM.

Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#8 Offline Leo - Posted December 23 2018 - 11:46 PM

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she doesn'y look like the diversa and affinis queens I see around here =(



#9 Offline CoolColJ - Posted December 25 2018 - 2:29 PM

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well she has a similar large head ratio at least


Edited by CoolColJ, December 26 2018 - 7:31 AM.

Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#10 Offline CoolColJ - Posted December 26 2018 - 11:59 PM

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bad news... that queen died.

 

good news... she found another colony of these ants, with queen, workers and a couple of majors.

So they do have majors - so they chances are good that these are Carebara, because they don't look like Pheidole :)

 

Will try and get some pics


Edited by CoolColJ, December 27 2018 - 12:21 AM.

Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#11 Offline Leo - Posted December 27 2018 - 12:08 AM

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=| your luck needs to be nerfed...



#12 Offline CoolColJ - Posted December 27 2018 - 12:22 AM

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=| your luck needs to be nerfed...

 

Unfortunately she decided to keep them :/


Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#13 Offline CoolColJ - Posted December 27 2018 - 2:07 AM

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She said there are 3 different sized majors!


Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#14 Offline CoolColJ - Posted December 27 2018 - 2:17 AM

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changed location - and details

 

Found on her parent's farm in Rollingstone, Queensland

Their farm is at the base of the paluma range. That’s about 300 km South of Cairns


Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#15 Offline CoolColJ - Posted December 27 2018 - 3:24 AM

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New pics -

 

Well I can say they are definitely Pheidologeton style Carebara!

Queen is about 12.5mm, but this second queen is smaller than the first one she found

Hard to say if they are affinis though

 

click to enlarge

 

Multi sized majors? check :)

She separated the small workers from the queen and majors. She says they ride the queen and majors

 


Edited by CoolColJ, December 27 2018 - 4:08 AM.

Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#16 Offline AntsBC - Posted January 1 2019 - 12:20 PM

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They still match Carebara affinisC. affinis does have multi sized majors as well. Honestly, I don't know what else they could be. Remember, with Carebara, you can't determine an ID on colour alone. 


Edited by AntsBC, January 1 2019 - 12:25 PM.

My Active Journals:

 

Formica pacifica

Formica planipilis (Parasitic sp.)

 

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#17 Offline CoolColJ - Posted January 3 2019 - 5:16 PM

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Can confirm it is a Carebara affinis :)

 

friend sent pics to someone

 


Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#18 Offline CoolColJ - Posted January 4 2019 - 7:50 PM

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So i read that Tiwi islands here off the coast of Darwin has a high presence of Carebara affinis - time for a holiday there one day :)

 

 

The most common species overall were Pheidole sp. 34 (266 records), Nylanderia sp. 4 (vaga gp.; 224), Hypopo-
nera sp. 2 (141), Carebara sp. 5 (139), Pheidologeton affinis
(133), Crematogaster sp. 9 (100), Pheidole sp. 33 (90),
Solenopsis sp. 1 (86) and Pheidole impressiceps (84).
Pheidole sp. 34 was among the most common species in all
habitat strata, and Nylanderia sp. 4 and Pheidole sp. 33 were
also widely distributed across strata (Table 2). The fauna
included two exotic species: Monomorium floricola (13
records across five sites) and Tapinoma melanocephalum
(single record)

 

 

So this queen does look like an affinis - left, diversa right

 

http://antclub.org/files/Pheidologeton%20affinis_2.jpg


Edited by CoolColJ, January 4 2019 - 7:52 PM.

Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/


#19 Offline Leo - Posted January 4 2019 - 10:52 PM

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Huh, gonna have to do a proper ID for my carebara.



#20 Offline CoolColJ - Posted January 5 2019 - 1:08 AM

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wait, that affinis queen in the pic above has ocelli...


Current ant colonies -
1) Opisthopsis Rufithorax (strobe ant), Melophorus sp2. black and orange, Pheidole species, Pheidole antipodum
Journal = http://www.formicult...ra-iridomyrmex/

Heterotermes cf brevicatena termite pet/feeder journal = http://www.formicult...feeder-journal/





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