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Photo

Pogonomyrmex californicus with a parasitic worm bursting out of its gaster

pogonomyrmex pogonomyrmex californicus parasitic worm parasite

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10 replies to this topic

#1 Offline dspdrew - Posted April 26 2014 - 7:16 PM

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Anhzor found this sometime last year and kept it. He recently gave it to me to put on my microscope, so here's the disturbing images. :bad:
 
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#2 Offline jimbodw07 - Posted April 27 2014 - 11:03 PM

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Amazing images! But still, what a horrible way to die!


There are two kinds of sufferers in this world:
Those who suffer from a lack of life...and those who suffer 
from an overabundance of life.
-Waking Life

#3 Offline noctilus - Posted April 28 2014 - 10:56 AM

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Fascinating! Do you have an idea what exactly that worm might be?
Great pictures, BTW :)

#4 Offline dspdrew - Posted April 28 2014 - 12:40 PM

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Thanks. I guess it's most likely a Mermithid nematode.



#5 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted July 26 2014 - 1:21 AM

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That thing probably spreads like a plague in colonies. Was that a worker from a captive colony? Or was it caught out of the wild?



#6 Offline Anhzor - Posted July 26 2014 - 8:18 AM

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I found this guy digging up a nest in my backyard around winter of 2013 to early spring of this year.



#7 Offline Mercutia - Posted July 26 2014 - 8:46 AM

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Nematode for sure. I remember having to identify them in my Diversity of Organisms university class. And that's when they were still alive and wriggling. Ewwww.



#8 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted July 27 2014 - 12:34 PM

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I had some of these burst out of a couple tadpoles I was keeping a little while back...



#9 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted July 27 2014 - 12:36 PM

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I found this guy digging up a nest in my backyard around winter of 2013 to early spring of this year.

You have Pogonomyrmex in your backyard? Lucky. Best I could find in mine was at max Solenopsis molesta, and a tiny Nylanderia sp.



#10 Offline Anhzor - Posted July 27 2014 - 1:01 PM

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I have accidently dug up point Pogonomyrmex queen beforeby accident

#11 Offline dspdrew - Posted July 27 2014 - 2:57 PM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

You have Pogonomyrmex in your backyard? Lucky. Best I could find in mine was at max Solenopsis molesta, and a tiny Nylanderia sp.


Haha, he lives in the middle of the city too. :wtf:







Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: pogonomyrmex, pogonomyrmex californicus, parasitic worm, parasite

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