6 replies to this topic

[CallMeCraven]

I just recently decided to jump into ant keeping and this forum and need some help. I caught this queen on 9/26 outside my home in Elko, Nevada. She was sitting inside a knot on a weeping willow tree. She is significantly larger than other ants around her, roughly 15mm. She has a dark red/brown coloration with two-three bands of a honey brown on her gaster. Her gaster is very large while her thorax is slightly bulbous, but proportional to the size of her head. Her legs are also very long. Here are some potato pics of her. Hopefully I remember to bring my camera home from work today so i can get some better pics. TIA!

 

Edited by CallMeCraven, September 28 2016 - 2:20 PM.

[Canadian anter]

Camponotus major it isn't a queen.
I will guess a large major from the subgenus Tanaemyrmex. Those queens can be larger than 20mm

[CallMeCraven]

Camponotus major it isn't a queen.
I will guess a large major from the subgenus Tanaemyrmex. Those queens can be larger than 20mm

Thanks for the reply. that's a bummer that it is a major but at least I know i have a Camponotus coloney near by. I guess i will be looking for their queens next year. I have one more that people on reddit have verified is a queen but haven't been able to help me narrow down species. Guess I should throw that one up now.

Edited by CallMeCraven, September 28 2016 - 4:58 PM.

[kellakk]

If you upload images to your gallery, you can then attach those images to any post you make. See here and here if you get lost.

[dspdrew]

If you upload images to your gallery, you can then attach those images to any post you make. See here and here if you get lost.

[James C. Trager]

Canadian anter means a large minor. Here's a great image showing the differences in size and head shape of minor and major workers of the same Camponotus species. http://bugguide.net/.../620434/bgimage

 

Also, I recommend against estimating millimeter lengths of ants until you have measured a good number of them (100's, of many different species) with a millimeter ruler or microscope micrometer. Minor workers of the larger North American Camponotus species, when actually measured, range from 6-11mm, majors 10-14, queens 12-16, depending on the species and the individual. They can all be a bit larger than the upper limit, but never "20mm", when they're really full of food or eggs. After carefully measuring several hundred ants or more, you'll get better at estimating, but always a good idea to re-train yourself with that measuring device frequently. With smaller species, even 0.15 mm can be the difference between species. 

[CallMeCraven]

Canadian anter means a large minor. Here's a great image showing the differences in size and head shape of minor and major workers of the same Camponotus species. http://bugguide.net/.../620434/bgimage

 

Also, I recommend against estimating millimeter lengths of ants until you have measured a good number of them (100's, of many different species) with a millimeter ruler or microscope micrometer. Minor workers of the larger North American Camponotus species, when actually measured, range from 6-11mm, majors 10-14, queens 12-16, depending on the species and the individual. They can all be a bit larger than the upper limit, but never "20mm", when they're really full of food or eggs. After carefully measuring several hundred ants or more, you'll get better at estimating, but always a good idea to re-train yourself with that measuring device frequently. With smaller species, even 0.15 mm can be the difference between species. 

Thanks for the info. I work as an ecologist and am use to measuring small plant parts much smaller than this with many techniques. I originally based this size estimate on a scale within my dissection  microscope and reinforced the measurement (in my head at least) by comparing the ant to the inner diameter of the test tub. Ill try to do better in the future, I just assumed people would like as much information as possible to make it easier.

Edited by CallMeCraven, October 1 2016 - 1:33 PM.