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How do you ID your ants? Methodology and resources


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11 replies to this topic

#1 Offline skocko76 - Posted June 23 2018 - 11:15 PM

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Hi all.
How do you identify your ants?
What knowledgebase do you use to differentiate?
I find it difficult to find images and descriptions of species.
I help myself with this great site, even though it is for French ants only: http://keyants.free.fr

I'd like to get better at it, as currently I am not good at all...

#2 Offline gcsnelling - Posted June 24 2018 - 2:44 AM

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It takes practice, simple as that. You need a good microscope. Antweb it a good resource.


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#3 Offline Mettcollsuss - Posted June 24 2018 - 7:26 AM

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Once I’ve pinned down what genus it is, I use both antmaps.org and antweb.org. I use antmaps to find all species of that genus in my area, and then I use antweb to look through each of those species. Sometimes, if I find two or more species that look like it, I have to use a microscope. This method takes patience, as you may have to wait for workers to arrive if antweb doesn’t have a queen specimen, or you may have to wait for a worker to die so you can examine it more closely.
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#4 Offline AntsAreUs - Posted June 24 2018 - 11:59 AM

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It's more or less figuring out what Genus the ant is in which is quite easy in most northern countries. As for IDing down to the species it would have to be a really common species (Tetramorium immigrans for example) or a decently different species from the rest of them in your area such as comparing Camponotus castaneus to the rest of the species in North America. If the ant is in a Genus that has many, many species and most look the same color (Formica for example) then you will need a microscope or really good macro lens/camera to take pics. Once you have taken those pics you can use a species identifying key which can be found most of the time on antwiki.org. Becoming familiar with the ants in your area helps a ton with knowing how to ID.


Edited by AntsAreUs, June 24 2018 - 12:01 PM.

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#5 Offline skocko76 - Posted June 25 2018 - 12:32 AM

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Thank you for your replies. Extremely helpful!
Do you have a recommendation on which microscopes would be good to get?
I do have a Canon EF 100mm f2.8 macro usm lens, though.

#6 Offline AntsAreUs - Posted June 25 2018 - 8:40 AM

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I used a $40 USB microscope on Amazon at it seems to work great. Combined with image stacking I can take the following pics:

 

 

Pheidole pilifera

Y21lLfn.jpg

jNLyfCA.jpg

 

Strumigenys pergandei and Strumigenys pilinasis

kqYAtTm.jpg

0U2xZuY.jpg

 

This is an example of using macro lens:

NgdwjDI.jpg?4

 

 

Hopefully that helps.


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#7 Offline skocko76 - Posted June 26 2018 - 2:52 AM

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Thanks for the very helpful replies.

What magnification microscope is best? 500X, 1000X? I have no idea.



#8 Offline AntsAreUs - Posted June 26 2018 - 7:08 AM

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Thanks for the very helpful replies.

What magnification microscope is best? 500X, 1000X? I have no idea.

The one I used is 20x-200x.


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#9 Offline Mettcollsuss - Posted June 26 2018 - 7:45 AM

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I used a $40 USB microscope on Amazon at it seems to work great.


Can you post the link to it?

#10 Offline AntsAreUs - Posted June 26 2018 - 7:48 AM

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I used a $40 USB microscope on Amazon at it seems to work great.


Can you post the link to it?

 

https://www.amazon.c...scope endoscope


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#11 Offline skocko76 - Posted June 28 2018 - 5:46 AM

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Thanks for the very helpful replies.

What magnification microscope is best? 500X, 1000X? I have no idea.

The one I used is 20x-200x.

 

Crap! I ordered 200x-1000x by mistake.  Can you tell what magnification you used for mugshots? Can I make do with the one I ordered?



#12 Offline AntsAreUs - Posted June 28 2018 - 6:49 AM

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Thanks for the very helpful replies.

What magnification microscope is best? 500X, 1000X? I have no idea.

The one I used is 20x-200x.

 

Crap! I ordered 200x-1000x by mistake.  Can you tell what magnification you used for mugshots? Can I make do with the one I ordered?

 

It depends on how big your ant is for sure. You will probably be able to use it. Larger ants such as Formica might be harder to setup for good pictures.






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